


It comes back around

by fievre



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-12-21 02:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11934333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fievre/pseuds/fievre
Summary: Regina Valdez-Mills finds herself in a tangled web of scandal and deceit, and finds a hope of escape in Emma Nolan - unaware that Emma may be hiding secrets of her own.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpeedRacer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeedRacer/gifts).



> Hello! 
> 
> I'm back with another story I hope you all will enjoy! I wanted to write about the spark of romance in a dramatic set of circumstances, unreasonable family expectations, long-held grudges, the works. I really had a lot of fun writing this. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and thanks to the SuperNova organizers for putting this event together!

Regina taped the last box shut and wrote “ _BOOKS_ ” neatly on the side, capping the marker with satisfaction. She pushed the box with one foot to the corner of her bedroom where other boxes were stacked and waiting for the movers' arrival. Tucking a stray lock of black hair behind her ear, she looked around the now mostly empty space that had been hers for the past three years. She wasn't really going to miss this room, or this flat, for that matter.

 

She flopped down on her bed and lay looking up at the ceiling taking a deep sigh. She had aced her last exam, she knew, and was probably leaving University life with the final accomplishment of closing this chapter near the top of her class. It had been a grind, but New York and a new life beckoned. She was ready.

 

But first, she would graduate. Father and Mother would be there. Maybe she could relax for a few days – or more likely she would be helping her frazzled half-sister Zelena clear out _her_ side of their flat. Zelena had a lot going for her – she was brilliant, impetuous, and blessed with a stark kind of beauty – but organization wasn't her strong suit. Regina would have much preferred her own space while they were in school, but their mother Cora had insisted that they be roommates – or Regina could scrounge up her own tuition money, an impossibility. Regina knew that Cora didn't want them living together to foster some sort of sisterly bond. All that Cora really wanted was someone to keep an eye on Zelena, because although Regina was the younger sister, she was the more mature one. Where she was logical, Zelena was all emotion. Regina had learned to tolerate Zelena's seemingly endless dramas and the way she tore like a tornado through life, but she was looking forward to getting out on her own into much more controlled, quiet circumstances. Even so, Regina loved her sister, though it seemed at times they couldn't possibly have been more different.

 

These thoughts were fittingly interrupted by Zelena making her entrance to the flat, letting the front door slam shut and chattering animatedly with whomever she had in tow. Regina strained to listen, then felt her eyes close in defeat when she recognized Ella De Ville's grating trill echoing down the hall.

 

Why, Regina wondered, couldn't her sister find any _decent_ friends? That was just one more reason that Regina was ready to get away and start living on her own: she'd finally be free of her sister’s tight circle of questionable friends.

 

Despite Regina's best effort to guide her sister to a better social crowd, Zelena had held fast all these years to a group she had fallen in with early on in school, made up of girls just as smart and beautiful as she was, and unfortunately, equally as reckless and selfish.

 

They were the type of girls who did things simply because they _could_ , always pushing the limits of acceptable behavior, and all of them rich enough to buy their way out of any trouble their actions brought to them. Feeling responsible for her sister as she did, Regina had often been dragged into intrigues she'd wanted nothing to do with in the name of making sure things didn't get too far out of hand, and as a result her own reputation had taken a hit. A lot of people who knew her thought she was on the same page as Zelena and her crew, but she wasn't. She was just doing her part to protect her sister and limit the collateral damage.

 

If she was totally honest with herself, Regina had to admit that this crew's antics were like wild splashes of color in her otherwise focused, disciplined, _boring_ existence. It may not have been the social circle she would have chosen for her time at Dryce University, but without them, Regina probably wouldn't have had a very memorable college experience.

 

Regina could hear the animated discussion in the living room but couldn't make out what was being said. All she heard was the cadence of Zelena's self-pitying whines broken up with the sharp edges of Ella's laughter and quick rejoinders.

 

_What now_? Regina sat up from the bed and went down the hall, walking into the bright, airy living room of their flat with arms crossed. The voices stilled at her appearance, and Regina felt her stance softening when she realized her sister had been crying, her blue eyes puffy and her pale skin splotchy with high color.

 

“Zelena?” Regina went and sat next to her sister on the couch, placing a hand on her arm. “What happened?”

 

Zelena just shook her head miserably. “Never mind,” she muttered, wiping at her cheeks.

 

“Tell me,” Regina said with a patient firmness.

 

“What do you think happened?” Ella drawled. “You know the only reason your _dear_ sister ever cries, don't you darling?”

 

Regina set her jaw and pointedly ignored Ella, focusing her attention on Zelena. “Is it Rupert?” Only getting a sniffle in reply, a familiar annoyance rose in Regina, tears or no tears. “Again? Seriously, Zelena? How long are you going to let him walk all over your feelings? He's not worth it. He _never_ has been.”

 

Zelena pulled her arm away from Regina's hand and moved away, pressing her body in into the corner of the sofa. “Stay out of it,” she hissed. Her pale eyes seemed to clear as she narrowed them slightly at Regina. “It's nothing to do with you.”

 

Regina shook her head in disgust. “Unbelievable.” She looked at Ella. “Well? What's he done now?”

 

Ella's lips curved into a wry smile. “Nothing, except throw his new relationship in her face. He's fallen madly in love with Belle French, of all people – and he's not making a secret of it. Poor Zee. She overheard him talking about the whirlwind trip he's taking her on just as soon as graduation is over.” Ella slyly looked over at Zelena to see what effect her next words would have. “He's taking her to all those mystical, magical places she's read about in her books. Old Russian castles, forgotten obscure islands in the South Pacific, the furthest reaches and the brightest cities, all the wonders of the world.” Ella's voice took on a sardonic tone. “The best of everything, billionaire style.”

 

Zelena made a frustrated noise that sounded like a cross between a yowling cat and a growl. She hit at a pillow on the couch with a frustrated fist and stood up, pacing the length of the floor. She tossed her long, red hair, muttering under her breath.

 

Regina took her eyes away from Zelena's meltdown and raised her eyebrows at Ella. “Belle French? Are you sure? She –”

 

“ _Yes,_ she's sure, Regina,” Zelena said, stopping her pacing and spinning around to look Regina in the eye. “We're sure. The whole campus is _sure._ Any other stupid questions?”

 

“I just... I can't see Rupert with Belle. We all know her. She doesn't seem very much like his type,” Regina said, wincing as Zelena laughed scornfully and began her pacing anew. “I didn't even know they were dating. She –”

 

“She _stole_ him from me,” Zelena wailed, dropping dramatically into a plush armchair. “That insipid little two-faced bi–”

 

“Now, darling, you and Rupert were on one of your many, many breaks, remember? Taking time to think things over? You agreed to give him space, didn't you?” Ella cut in with a questioning, insincere tone, knowing full well what the response would be. Commentary about this situation had been Zelena's constant refrain for the past two months.

 

Zelena tossed her hair defiantly. “He made me believe that he was ready for us to take the next step in our relationship. He talked about us spending the summer together, me getting to know his parents...” She trailed off as fresh tears dropped prettily from her eyes. “I thought he was going to propose.”

 

“Zelena,” Regina said gently, “If he truly meant to propose, I don't think he would have suggested a break.”

 

“He wanted to focus on finishing his postgrad. So did I. He said I was getting too...” Zelena gripped her hands together on her lap and looked down, as if she were ashamed. “Too needy. Too clingy. I wanted to show him I could be independent. I'd do anything for him. Anything he asked. So I agreed to let him have some space.”

 

Regina pressed her lips together, wanting to blurt out that she hated the way Rupert made her strong-willed sister feel that she had to shrink any part of herself because he said so. Their entire relationship had been that way: Zelena always being the one to compromise or give in, while Rupert dictated everything. She couldn't imagine her sister going on like that the rest of her life. It was true that her sister ran with her emotions and didn't always think things through, and she probably had her fair share of growing up to do – but Regina wanted her to be with someone who understood all that, and loved her anyway, not someone who saw her as something to mold, an identity to manipulate.

 

“Zelena,” Regina began, weighing her words carefully, “Have you thought that maybe... this is for the best?”

 

Zelena looked up at her sharply. “What?”

 

“Look at what he's doing to you. You're all torn up and he probably hasn't even given you a second thought. Maybe if you _really_ give it some space and time you'll find that he's not the right man for you. You've never given yourself a chance to get over him.”

 

“She's got you there, dear,” Ella purred. “I can't even get you to _look_ at another man. Imagine wasting all this time on Rupert Gold when I could have introduced you to just about any other type you were interested in. He's not the only man at Dryce who will inherit a fortune. Far from it, in fact. You might have been changing them out like party dresses.”

 

Zelena passed a tired hand over her eyes. “It's not about the money,” she said with emphasis, looking back and forth between Ella and Regina. “Can't you try to understand? It's not the money, or his name, or –”

 

“It's certainly not his looks,” Ella interjected with a little smile. Regina silently agreed.

 

Rupert wasn't what anyone could call a dashing physical specimen, although he was good looking enough. He was slim and dapper, but there was something in his smile that was cold. His wit was as sharp as his mind, and Regina always felt that Rupert's dark eyes saw right through her. He had a way of picking up on people's vulnerabilities and could level an insult that the recipient wouldn't fully understand until long afterward. What Zelena saw in him, Regina could never understand, and she found the idea of their marriage disheartening at the best of times.  Maybe if Belle French could hold on to Rupert, her sister _and_ Regina's peace of mind in the future could both be saved.

 

“Neither of you understand what it's like to really love someone,” Zelena said. “If you did, you wouldn't say these things to me.”

 

“Zelena –”

 

Zelena waved her hand at Regina as if to say she didn't want to hear it. There was a quick rap at the door, And Zelena hurried from her chair and flung the door open. Regina was dismayed to see Mallory Drachen and Ursula Delmar standing in the doorway. Whatever small chance she'd had of getting through to her sister about Rupert was all but gone with those two around.

 

“Well, we're here,” Ursula said, sauntering in and looking Regina up and down as if she wasn't sure what she was doing there, in her own flat.

 

Mallory embraced Zelena with something that resembled affection, or at least as close to affection as Mallory ever got. She left her hands on Zelena's shoulders as she stepped back and looked her over. “Are you alright?”

 

Zelena nodded and gestured for Mallory and Ursula to sit down in the living room before closing and locking the front door. She went back to her chair and sat down on curled legs as the other girls got comfortable. Regina winced as Mallory practically tossed her coat and handbag on top of her before alighting on the couch. Regina glared at her as she shoved the items out of her personal space.

 

“We've heard,” Mallory said to Zelena.

 

“Everyone has,” Ursula added with an air of boredom, crossing her long legs.

 

“And we came right over once I got your text,” Mallory continued. There was a beat of silence. “Zel, what are you going to do?”

 

Zelena shrugged miserably and ran a hand through her hair. “I don't know.”

 

“You're just going to let them get away with making a fool of you?” Ursula raised an eyebrow and exchanged a knowing glance with Ella. “Could never be me,” she added under her breath with a smirk that made Regina grit her teeth.

 

“No,” Mallory said firmly. “She's not letting them get away with it.”

 

Regina's well-honed sense of foreboding issued an alarm somewhere in the back of her mind. _Put a stop to this now. Nip it in the bud._ The thought was so clear it startled Regina and she cleared her throat. “I really don't think there's anything for my sister to do,” she began, looking around at the other women in the room before turning compassionate eyes on her sister. “Except make her peace with it the best she can and go on with her life. Knowing Rupert he'll change his mind soon enough and come calling again.”

 

This last perked Zelena up a tiny bit. “You think?”

 

Mallory snorted rudely. “Of course she doesn't. She's hoping Belle French hangs on to your Rupert. She never could stand him.”

 

“Stay out of it, Mallory,” Regina warned.

 

“Why should I? Zelena can always count on my support. Far more than she could ever count on you. Some sister. All you've done is meddle in Zel's affairs and get involved where nobody asked you to. Spying for your mother all this time.” Mallory waved a hand when Regina sat up straighter and opened her mouth to protest.

 

“Don't bother. We all know the true source of this deep, abiding concern of yours. It has nothing to do with sisterhood. You're just doing your mother's bidding.”

 

Regina felt her face reddening as she was confronted with the truth.

 

Mallory's cold blue eyes studied Regina's discomfiture with an unmistakable gleam of satisfaction. “Did you really think we didn’t know?”

 

“It's not like that,” Regina said hotly. “I love my sister, and all I've ever done is try to protect her from all of you.”

 

“For her benefit, or yours?” Mallory stood up and crossed the room, perching on the arm of Zelena's chair. “She knows _we_ have her back.” Mallory put a comforting arm around Zelena's shoulders.

 

Regina rolled her eyes and met Zelena's gaze. “I have your back,” she said quietly. “I always will.”

 

Mallory made a scoffing noise.

 

“As fascinating as this little power struggle is, I'm far more interested in what's going to happen next,” Ella cut in. “I see the gears turning in Mallory's twisted mind from here.”

 

“Oh, shut up, Ella,” Regina hissed. “Don't you ever tire of stirring the pot? My sister's life is not your entertainment.”

 

“But it _is_ , darling. It's most entertaining. I'm ready for the next act of this little drama to unfold.”

 

“We're going to handle this,” Mallory pronounced.

 

Regina crossed her arms. “How, exactly?”

 

“Regina, if you're not going to be on my side, it's best for you to just go,” Zelena said wearily. “Leave us to it.”

 

“I _am_ on your side, Zelena! What do you expect me to do, just sit here and let you plot to torture Belle French? That girl wouldn't hurt a fly. It wouldn't be right and you know it.” Regina took a breath and softened her tone when she continued, “I know you, Zee. Regardless of what you may think of me right now, or what your friends tell you, I _do_ love you. But I'm not going to let you get involved with a plot to hurt someone who hasn't done anything to you.”

 

“Who said anything about harming Belle French?” Mallory raised delicate eyebrows. “No. Rupert is the one we want. And not even _you_ can claim that he's an innocent and should be spared, Regina.”

 

Regina frowned slightly. “You mean –”

 

“I mean, we are going to take revenge on Rupert for hurting Zelena. It's what he deserves. And if you object, it will prove once and for all that you don't support Zelena like a sister should. After all, you _loathe_ the man. Don't you?”

 

Ella's giggle was like a shard of glass in Regina's ear. “She's got you there, darling.”

 

“It won't be anything... _too_ harsh, will it, Mal?” Zelena looked up at Mallory with such tentative hope Regina's heart went out to her. It was apparent that her sister really did love that reptile of a man.

 

“Revenge is Mallory's specialty,” Ursula said, looking like a particularly satisfied cat. “Nobody does it better.”

 

“Shh!” Mallory held a perfectly manicured fingernail to her lips. “I need to think.”

 

An awkward silence fell and against her better judgment, Regina found herself musing about all the ways she'd love to get back at Rupert for his digs toward her and the careless cruelty with which he treated her sister. If only she could break the spell he had over Zelena...

 

An idea hit Regina suddenly and she smiled to herself, forgetting for the moment that she was surrounded by four sharp-minded girls who didn't miss a thing.

 

“What is it? Regina?”

 

Regina blinked out of her reverie and looked into Zelena's expectant face.

 

“It's nothing.”

 

“It's not nothing,” Zelena said, with a wheedling note in her voice. “I was looking right at you. You thought of something.”

 

“It sure looked like it,” Ursula added. “Not that she has the guts to admit it. Look at her backing down.”

 

“I'm _not,”_ Regina said firmly. “And frankly I'm tired of all of you and your insinuations.”

 

“Oh, _out_ with it, darling,” Ella said. “We've got it, your moral objections are duly noted.” She leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Now tell us all about it.”

 

Regina paused, wondering if she was about to make a huge mistake. She didn't know it then, but this was a moment she would return to over and over again in the near future. With one more look at her sister's tortured face, Regina made a fateful choice and plunged forward.

 

“Alright then, listen up. I know exactly what we're going to do.”

 

“’ _We_ ’? So you're in?” Mallory's skeptical look steeled Regina's resolve.

 

“I'm in,” she said.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, Nolan.”

 

Emma turned around from the cabinet where she was replacing file folders with a half-smile. “What's up, Lee?”

 

Leroy Diamond stepped into Emma's small office from where he had been looking around the doorway. A stocky and compact man, he carried himself with so much confidence that one didn't much notice his size. Leroy was a man who had worked his way up from nothing to head one of the top law firms in New York. He was brilliant, he didn't suffer fools, and Emma was pretty sure she was the only person who could get away with calling him Lee.

 

“You don't have to stay late to impress anyone, you know. Especially since we all know you're counting the days until you can get out of here.”

 

Emma closed the file drawer and took her leather satchel from the hook on the wall. She started to protest but she knew Leroy would see right through it. He was one of her parents' closest friends and had watched her grow up from a baby. The fact was, she _had_ been counting the days until she was leaving the firm's investigative unit, and had only stayed on this long because she'd promised her father she would. She'd put in the year he'd asked her to. Now she was ready to get on with her own plans.

 

She hadn't told anyone else yet, although she was sure her mother had guessed at the truth, as Leroy clearly had. She wasn't looking forward to breaking this news to her father, but it was a conversation that couldn't be avoided. Still, it wasn't quite time yet.

 

“I was just finishing a few things up,” Emma said lightly as she lifted the strap of her bag over one shoulder.

 

“Plans for the weekend?”

 

Emma flipped her hair out from under the strap of her bag and raised an eyebrow at Leroy. “Nothing in particular. Why?”

 

Leroy rocked back on his heels. “Just curious. It's the weekend, it's summer... I don't understand your generation. I see kids your age staying in here late every night. It's like none of you know how to enjoy life anymore. There's more to it than work, you know.”

 

“I take your point, but if I wasn't focused on a goal, you'd probably be telling me to find something to do.”

 

Leroy smiled wryly. “That I would.”

 

“I _do_ have fun, Leroy. It's just that I have a plan. I don't want anything to get in my way, you know?”

 

He shook his head and turned away. “I know. Just don't lose sight of everything else life has to offer.”

 

Emma smiled. “I won't. I'll see you on Monday.”

 

“Youth really is wasted on the young,” he muttered theatrically, loud enough for Emma to hear.

 

“I heard that,” Emma called after him. Leroy waved a hand over his shoulder and didn't look back.

 

Emma sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was Friday, and she probably should go out tonight, but she didn't feel like it. She wanted to go back to her apartment, open a pint of ice cream, and binge watch something until sleep took over. She never thought much about her current lack of a social life except on those occasions when someone else brought it up. It wasn't a subject she liked to dwell on.

 

With a final look around her tiny office to make sure she hadn't left anything out, Emma groaned as she realized she'd forgotten to take some files back down to the third floor. She could just as well leave them until Monday, but she decided to go ahead and do it now. She hated leaving any task dangling unfinished. She grabbed the files and slowly walked across the now empty office to the elevator. She got off at the third floor and looked around uncertainly. She didn't spend much time down here. She got her bearings and made her way to the desk of the secretary that had retrieved the files for her.

 

Emma thought over Leroy's words about youth being wasted on the young and reasoned to herself that there was nothing wrong with choosing to spend her time on her own when she wasn't working. Once she got into the academy she'd meet some new people and invest in some friendships. Until then, she was content with the way things were. It wasn't worth getting entangled with anyone when so many details in her life were up in the air.

 

Movement caught her eye across the office floor, and Emma noticed a brunette who was balancing an armful of files walking purposefully toward an office instead of an exit. Likely feeling Emma's eyes on her, the woman glanced over her shoulder to look Emma's way, slowing her steps. Emma saw a light of recognition in the other woman's face, but she didn't say anything, just turned around and kept walking.

 

Emma would have left it at that, but she knew that face.

 

“Hi,” Emma said to the retreating back.

 

The woman paused and turned as Emma approached. “Hello.”

 

“Regina, right?”

 

Regina gave a quick nod. “You're Emma Nolan,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.

 

Emma smiled. “Guilty as charged,” she said, unsurprised to see that her little legal joke had fallen flat with Regina, who didn't crack a smile. Emma cleared her throat and tried again. “I didn't know you worked here.”

 

Regina looked like she wanted to say something, but changed her mind. There was a beat of silence.

 

“I work in the investigative unit,” Emma plowed on, wondering why she was bothering with someone who clearly didn't want to be having this conversation.

 

“Right,” Regina said simply.

 

“Have you been here long?”

 

“A few months. I left another firm.” Regina shifted her weight from one foot to another. “Well... I've got to finish up a few things, so...”

 

“I was on my way out. For a drink,” Emma lied smoothly. “Friday, you know...”

 

“Yes,” Regina said, tilting her head a little. “It's Friday.”

 

“Did you want to come with, or...? I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get out of here.” _I'm asking her out. I actually just asked Regina Valdez-Mills to come out with me for a drink. What am I doing?_

 

Had Lee's comments gotten to her that much? Or was she just taking a random shot because fate had thrown the girl she'd had a short-lived crush on in her path at just this moment? Regina had always been someone Emma had noticed, they'd had a few classes together, and their social circles had grazed by each other, if not quite mixed. Yet Emma had never acted on her attraction, or even said much to Regina. Maybe their paths had crossed this time, at exactly this moment, for a reason. It seemed far-fetched, but it was possible.

 

Emma's smile widened as she waited for Regina's answer.

 

“Oh, um... I would, but I've got a thing with my sister. She's, ah, she's getting married and I'm helping to plan it. Her bridesmaids are in town this weekend, fittings and all. You know how it is.”

 

Emma didn't, actually, know how it was, but she nodded anyway. “Yeah, of course. Congratulations. To your sister, I mean.” This was the most awkward small talk of Emma's life, but her feet stayed planted and she pressed on anyway. “Zelena, right? That's your sister?”

 

Regina nodded. “She's engaged to Rupert Gold.”

 

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Oh! I hadn't heard.”

 

“Yes, well. I'm not sure I would've been invited if I wasn't the sister of the bride,” Regina said with a little smile.

 

“I can imagine,” Emma said, her mind spinning. Rupert Gold. The name itself brought up a bunch of conflicting emotions.

 

“On top of the work I'm doing here, I've got to run all kinds of errands. Apparently, the rest of her bridesmaids all have better things to do than actually help out with the wedding,” Regina was saying. “After I get done here I'm supposed to go check on Ella De Ville. Her dog just died – was killed, actually – and it's up to me, for some reason, to track down a Dalmatian breeder so she can have a new puppy.”

 

“Wow. Sounds awful. About the dog.” Emma's antenna perked up and automatically began to file away bits of information from this conversation. A dog killed? Probably in an accident. Ella De Ville was a nasty piece of work, and Emma had had the misfortune of finding that out more than once in college. She wondered briefly if she was still the same insufferable witch she had always been. Recollecting Ella made Emma remember more about Zelena and the crowd she ran around with. And the tie to Rupert brought to mind Emma's friend Belle.

 

“Being here has sharpened my gopher skills, at least,” Regina said with a wry smile. Her eyes met Emma's shyly. “Maybe we could catch up some more next week sometime? You know where to find me.” Regina gestured to some cubicles.

 

“Sure,” Emma said, feeling less enthusiasm over this chance meeting than she had before. She held up the file folders she'd come to drop off. “I'll just go put these –”

 

“Here,” Regina said, gently taking them from Emma's hand. “I'll take care of them. I'll see you.” She turned and walked off and Emma stood staring for a moment before going back the way she came.

 

When she got outside the dry blast of heat seemed to reawaken her from a reverie. She hailed a taxi and gave her address, then pulled out her phone. She scrolled through the names until she found Belle French and called.

 

No answer. She left a message. “Hey, it's Emma. I was thinking of you. Call me, when you get this.” She dropped her phone into her bag and stared out the window.

 

So Regina Valdez-Mills worked at Diamond & Associates and somehow Emma had never known.

 

Lee had urged her to enjoy life and it wasn't the first time he and her parents had hinted at her starting to date. But Emma had seen firsthand what had happened to Belle when she threw caution to the wind and opened herself up to love. Her friend had ended up devastated, and a year later she still wasn't the same. Emma sighed, wishing that Regina hadn't mentioned Rupert Gold. For a moment, Emma had tried to embrace chance. But just as quickly she'd been reminded why she'd been resolved to singleness for so long. Knowing she was guarding her heart in a way Belle never had was consolation enough right now.

 

 

                                                                        ***

 

 

Regina waited behind a helpful wall, holding her breath until she heard the elevator doors close. She quickly put the files back and went and grabbed her things. She wanted out of that office.

 

She took the stairs and paused in the lobby to make sure there was no trace of Emma just outside the doors before she went out. The whole way home she replayed the exchange over and over in her mind. She'd finally run into Emma Nolan, in spite of her efforts to avoid her. She'd wanted to say yes to the drink. She'd wanted to talk to her more.

 

 _I shouldn't have said anything to her at all,_ Regina thought. _Should have gone on, keeping my distance. If mother knew I almost had gone for a drink with_ Emma Nolan _of all people, or if I_ had _gone and she ever found out, I'd never hear the end of it._

Regina's mind was weary when she finally got home. She had seen Emma withdraw from her as soon as Rupert Gold was mentioned. Not that she blamed her. The fact that Ella had been mentioned didn't help matters either. Nor did her own awkwardness and short answers. Regina was sure she'd probably blown whatever slim chance she'd had with Emma already, through her own introversion and guilt by association. Only they weren't _her_ associates, they were Zelena's.

 

_A year out of school and Zelena's life is still messing with mine. Is it ever going to stop?_

Regina supposed not. All of her hopes for what her life in New York could be seemed farther away than ever. Maybe when the wedding was over she could take back control of her life, tell her mother she had her _own_ plans and dreams, and finally be free of Zelena's drama.

Her vibrating phone snapped her out of it and she glanced down at the display with a sigh. It was Cora.

_Duty calls._ Regina put thoughts of her encounter with Emma out of her mind and answered the phone.

“Yes, Mother?”


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you think? Emeralds?” Zelena held up one glinting earring to an ear and examined herself in the mirror. “Or simple diamonds?” Zelena held up an alternate earring and looked at Regina in the mirror.

 

Regina stifled a yawn and shifted slightly on the chaise longue she was perched on, planner in lap. “Emeralds. They're not too much. Green is your color.”

 

Zelena carefully set the earrings back down into their respective cases. Both pairs had been gifts from Rupert, and as such Zelena cherished them.

 

“I just want everything to be right,” she said, with a nervous smile and a glance in Regina's direction. Her smile faded a little as she added, “Rupert has been in such a _mood_ lately. I don't want to set him off.”

 

Regina clenched her jaw to keep what she wanted to say to herself. She had implored Zelena once, shortly after their engagement, with the promise never to mention it again, to reconsider marrying Rupert. Zelena had actually listened, then placed her hands on Regina's shoulders and affirmed, “This is what I want. I love Rupert. And I also want my sister's support. Do I have it?”

 

What else could Regina do in that moment but agree? She didn't want to lose Zelena. Helping to plan what she was sure would be the biggest mistake of her sister's life was torture, but Regina did what was asked of her with a smile.

 

“You're going to look beautiful, Z. Rupert will be pleased with whatever you decide to wear, I'm sure,” Regina added, trying to be supportive. The lopsided smile she pasted on her face was likely less than convincing, but Zelena didn't seem to notice. She began talking about the gala Rupert was taking her to, and all the important people that would be there. Regina ducked her head and stared intently at the planner in her lap, quickly sketching a doodle of a snake in one of the margins. Her mind drifted back to Emma and the conversation they'd had yesterday, and how her whole demeanor had changed when Regina had mentioned Rupert Gold. Ugh. It was probably going to be like that from now on. People pulling away from her whenever she mentioned her future brother-in-law's name. If only –

 

Regina nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand reached out and took the planner from her lap in one swift movement.

 

Cora's eyes skimmed the page and lingered on the snake doodle before rising to meet Regina's. Under her stare, Regina felt the flush in her cheeks rising. She held out a hand for her notebook.

 

“May I have that back, please, Mother?”

 

Cora handed the planner back without breaking eye contact.

 

“I see you've been busy keeping everything organized for your sister, Regina. Well done.”

 

“It's the least I can do,” Regina mumbled, feeling like a chastened six-year-old. She cleared her throat and tried to regain some composure. “I found a breeder with Dalmatian puppies available. For Ella.”

 

Cora's face registered distaste. “That girl's attachment to dogs is surprising.”

 

“Don't be too hard on her,” Zelena said. “I daresay that dog was the only thing Ella really loved. And for someone to just run it over and leave it for dead...” Zelena broke off with a little shiver. “She's rather devastated, I'm afraid.”

 

“People can be cruel,” Cora said, crossing the room to stand behind Zelena. She picked up a brush from the vanity and ran it through Zelena's hair until it shone like reddish gold. “I never allowed you girls to have pets – not only because I don't believe in keeping animals indoors, but because of the senseless loss I knew you would feel when the animal inevitably died. Life is hard enough without adding needlessly to our pain,” Cora continued. “And you're both such sensitive girls.” This last was said with a sidelong glance at Regina.

 

“Zelena, you must thank your sister for what she's done, going above and beyond to find your friend a new pet.”

 

“Regina knows how much I appreciate her,” Zelena said with a hint of defensiveness. To Regina she said, “Thank you, sister. You're a gem.”

 

Zelena's phone rang and she snatched it up with a happy expression that was so genuine it tugged at Regina's heart. “It's Rupert,” she said, standing up and excusing herself. She stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind her.

 

Regina was left alone with Cora and braced herself. She could tell by the look on her mother's face that she was working up to something.

 

Cora set down the brush and picked up the jewelry box that contained the emerald earrings from the vanity. “I'll say this for the Golds, they have good taste.”

 

“Mother, I –”

 

“I didn't have a sister,” Cora continued as she replaced the box where she'd found it. “When I married your father, I was so very nervous. I had no family, no one by my side. _His_ family were all horrible snobs who thought he was making a mistake – marrying someone _beneath_ him.” Cora's gaze was piercing and her voice held a ring of intensity – hurt, even – that made Regina look away. “They never once let me forget that I was the lucky one. As if they were doing me a favor, _allowing_ me to marry into their family.”

 

Cora had advanced on Regina as she spoke, and dropped gracefully on the lounge beside her. She kept her face forward and Regina studied her profile as she spoke.

 

“Tell me, Regina – what exactly is your objection to your sister's happiness?”

 

“I don't object to her happiness,” Regina said softly. “She's my sister. But Gold is –” Regina pressed her lips together and lowered her voice even further. “He's not what people think, Mother. He's not a good man. He's cold and calculating. I know you think this marriage will help our position, but it will come at Zelena's expense; I just know it.”

 

“You know, I think the most loving thing your father ever did for me was to give Zelena his name. To claim her as his own. He never once treated her as anything other than his own daughter. Henry did his duty.”

 

“Mother...”

 

“Your sister's wedding will be the best day of her life. Get on board, Regina. I'm not having this conversation with you again.”

 

This time, Regina didn't bite back the words on her tongue. She let them loose with the force of pent-up emotion behind them. “Do my duty? Get on board?” She laughed bitterly and began to pace the room. “I have only _ever_ done what you've asked of me, Mother. I lived with Zelena all through college and law school. I kept her out of trouble as best I could. I put up with that coven of witches she calls friends. Even now I'm doing their bidding. They treat me like a servant, and I haven't said one word. I got on board, alright. I helped to wreck an innocent person's life to make this engagement a possibility in the first place. Did you know _that_? You keep talking to me about happiness. You ought to know better than anyone that you can't build a happy life out of the ashes of someone else's.”

 

Regina's heart was beating hard as she awaited her mother's response.

 

“Zelena,” Cora said calmly, “You must excuse your sister. She's clearly overwrought.”

 

Regina tore her eyes away and looked to the doorway, where Zelena was staring her down with eyes as hard and cold as ice.

 

“Zee... I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I –”

 

“Get out of my room.”

 

Regina picked up her planner and left the room without another word. She knew that Zelena was furious, and she had good reason to be. She'd broken two promises, one not to speak about her misgivings about Rupert, and the other to never mention what had happened just before they left school. She blinked away tears and made her way to her old childhood room, leaning against the door as she closed it behind her. She pulled herself together with an effort and went over to the phone on her bedside table. She flipped through the pages of her planner and dialed Ella's number.

 

“What is it?” Ella's voice was clogged with tears.

 

“Ella? It's Regina. How are you holding up?”

 

“How do you think? What do you want?”

 

“I found the breeder. They have Dalmatian puppies just now. Do you want the number?”

 

“Do you want the number?” Ella mimicked savagely. “You think I can just replace Agamemnon so easily?”

 

“I was just trying to help. You agreed with Zelena that it was a good idea last night.”

 

“Just give me the number.”

 

Regina recited the digits and winced as Ella slapped the phone down in her ear without another word.

 

It was enough for one day. She was going to get her stuff and go back to her apartment. She didn't feel like being in this house right now. She went downstairs and was collecting her handbag when her father approached with arms open for a hug.

 

“Leaving me already?”

 

Regina stepped into the hug gratefully and was surprised at the tears that sprang to her eyes. Her father pulled back, and seeing her tears, led her into his study. They sat down together on the couch and Regina rummaged in her bag for a Kleenex. Henry took the tissue from her and dabbed gently at her cheeks, the way he used to when she was a little girl. She smiled through her tears.

 

“Sorry, Daddy.”

 

“What's wrong? You can tell me anything, you know.”

 

“Everything. Just... everything.”

 

“Nothing can be as bad as all that. You're young; things always seem much worse than they actually are.”

 

Regina shook her head. “You just don't know. I've done everything I know how to do to make Mother happy, but she never is. Zelena's about to marry a sociopath and she's angry with me at the moment because she overheard me talking about my true feelings about this wedding. And yesterday at work I ran into Emma Nolan of all people. She asked me to get a drink with her. Can you believe that?”

 

Henry looked surprised. “She is...?”

 

“Yes, Daddy.”

 

Henry nodded. “And what did you say when she asked you out?”

 

“I said maybe some other time.” Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry.”

 

“Don't apologize. But there is a reason we have no doings with the Nolans, Regina. You know that. If your mother ever found out –”

 

“I _know_ , Daddy. She's only told me a million times how much she hates them. I just don't understand why I had to leave my job – the one I found on my own – to go work at Diamond & Associates, just because she heard Emma was employed there.”

 

Henry sighed. “It's a... delicate situation with your mother. We must respect her feelings in this. She only wants the best for you.”

 

“For me? Or what's best for competing with the Nolans?” Regina ran a hand through her hair and took back the Kleenex to dab away a stray tear. “Emma seemed to know nothing about this feud, by the way. She was as friendly as could be. I just don't understand why I'm supposed to treat her as a mortal enemy. She was _nice_ , Daddy.”

 

“It's not that simple. The Nolans... they hurt your mother very deeply once, a long, long time ago. She's never really forgotten it.”

 

“But how? What did they do that was so horrible?”

 

Henry looked away, evasive. “Some things are better not to know, sweetheart.”

 

“Daddy, my whole life, she's been pushing for me to excel in everything I did to keep our family competitive with them. It just doesn't make any sense. Why me, and not Zelena?”

 

“Your mother and I have set high standards for you both. We are very proud of all you have accomplished. And I am especially proud of the way you are handling yourself with regards to this wedding.” Henry placed a loving hand on Regina's cheek. “Let's just get through it, hm? I will speak with your mother about your work when all the dust has settled.”

 

“Alright, Daddy. I'm going home.”

 

“Before you go, do a favor for me, would you? Say goodbye to your mother and make amends with your sister. Let us have peace in this house again. Hm?”

 

Regina gave her father a sad smile. “Anything for you.”

 

She steeled herself to go back upstairs to Zelena's bedroom and try to make amends, but paused at the bottom of the stairs with a frown when she heard voices in the living room, one of which she recognized as Mallory's.

 

 _What's she doing here?_ Regina wondered. _I didn't hear anyone come in._

Cautiously, Regina made her way to the living room where Mallory and Zelena were clumped together on the couch. Mallory was crying, and Zelena had an arm around her shoulders. Cora was watching them with an introspective look on her face. Unexpectedly, the hairs on Regina's arms stood up. Something was seriously wrong here.

 

“What's going on?” she asked, rubbing her arms in turn to make the gooseflesh disappear. “Mother?”

 

No one answered, and unwilling to interrupt Mallory's tears, and because just turning around and walking away would be rude, Regina sat down and waited in silence through Mallory's sobs.

 

“It will be alright, dear,” Cora said after a few moments. “You're welcome to stay with us until the worst of it is over.”

 

“Of course, you must,” Zelena chimed in, her face the picture of concern. “We've got plenty of room and no reporter would think to look for you here.”

 

Mallory shook her head miserably and wiped at her cheeks with the heel of her hand. “I couldn't think of imposing on you right now. The wedding is so close. Oh – I didn't think. You probably won't want me to be in your wedding anymore.” A fresh sob broke from her lips.

 

“Nonsense,” Zelena said. “You're like a sister to me.” Zelena glanced Regina's way, but there was no anger in her eyes or slight in her words. She really did love Mallory, Regina knew that. She gave Zelena the slightest of smiles and a tiny nod. She could see in Zelena's face that whatever had happened to Mallory had caused her to put aside the fact that she had been upset with Regina.

 

“Calm yourself, Mallory. We insist that you stay here. We'll have some of your things brought over from your apartment – Regina can go,” Cora said.

 

Whatever mysterious crisis was going on, it didn't stop more “duties” from being piled on Regina's plate. Regina resisted the urge to refuse. She knew this was a test of her mother's, so she kept her mouth shut. She'd promised her father that she would try to make peace.

 

Mallory, probably gratified to see Regina being used as a gopher to fetch her things, handed Cora the keys to her apartment.

 

“Now Zelena, you show Mallory to the guest room. I'll have some tea sent up for you.”

 

“Thank you, Mrs. Valdez-Mills,” Mallory said.

 

“It's nothing, my dear. And please, call me Cora.” She smiled as warmly at Mallory as Regina had ever seen her smile at anyone.

 

Once the other two girls were out of earshot, Regina asked again, “What happened?”

Cora stood and came over to place the keys in Regina's palm. “It's her father. He was arrested for insider trading this morning.”

 

Regina's eyes widened. “Really?”

 

“It seems Drachen Technologies is bankrupt. To add insult to injury, he's blown through Mallory's inheritance, gambling in the stock market to try to pull the company out from under. Poor child. She's penniless.”

 

“That's horrible,” Regina said. She couldn't imagine her own father doing such a thing, and she was glad.

 

“Indeed. But I like that girl. There's something about her that reminds me of myself at her age. A certain quality of strength. She'll survive this.”

 

“It was nice of you to offer her to stay for a while,” Regina said. “At least until things blow over. I'm sure the press will be relentless.”

 

“She'll stay here for as long as she needs,” Cora said simply. “I want to take her under my wing. I'm sure she'll appreciate everything I'm going to do for her. Zelena sees her as a sister, after all. Why not?”

 

“Mother...” Regina paused, trying to choose her words carefully. “I know Mallory Drachen. I know who she is. Those tears weren't for anyone but herself. _I'm_ your daughter. _I'm_ Zelena's sister. Mallory is not a part of this family.”

 

Cora studied Regina's face with a little smile. “Interesting you said that. You've certainly been acting like someone who wished nothing more than to distance herself from this family.”

 

Regina lifted her chin. “It's not like you can replace me, Mother.”

 

“My decision is final. Mallory will be staying with us until she can get back on her feet. Now go and collect some things for Mallory, Regina, and bring them back here.” 

 

Regina waited until her mother had left the room to drop her face in her hands. Her life was becoming more and more entangled with people she wanted nothing to do with. Rupert Gold and Mallory Drachen weren't what she wanted for her family. She felt so alone.

 

But she wasn't. She still had her father. She still had Zelena. And whether her mother ever accepted her or not, she was her mother's daughter. She had Cora's grit and her intelligence. She would find a way to untangle herself from this mess she was in.

 

“Or I won't,” Regina murmured in the empty room. Her hands closed around the keys. Maybe it would never change. Maybe all of this was what she deserved.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma checked her watch and smiled apologetically at the waitress who passed by her with a harassed expression. The cafe was busy and Emma was holding a table for two that was only half full, and promising to order soon. She was waiting for Belle, who was running late.

 

She was relieved a minute later to finally see Belle weaving her way through the place toward her.

 

“Hey!” Emma stood up and hugged Belle. “I've missed you,” Emma said. She stepped back and looked at Belle now that they were closer. She had gotten thin and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Emma's heart sank a little. She'd been hoping for the best since she'd finally gotten in touch with Belle and set up this meeting. She wanted to see her friend thriving, with the old, familiar sparkle in her eye that made her so charming. The girl who stood before her certainly looked put together, but Emma knew her friend. Belle had changed.

 

“I've missed you too,” Belle said. She slid into the chair across from Emma. “I was really happy to hear from you. It's been awhile.”

 

The waitress came over and they both ordered coffee. Emma got a muffin but Belle alleged that she was fine, and not hungry.

 

Emma must have looked worried because once the waitress left them, Belle said “I just haven't got much of an appetite today.”

 

Emma decided to let that pass for now and changed the subject. “So tell me everything. What are you up to?”

 

Belle smiled, and this time she looked genuinely pleased. “I made editor.”

 

“You're kidding! I knew you were on your way, but that's fantastic, Belle!”

 

“I impressed them with my work ethic, I suppose. I've been putting in some long hours.”

 

“I get it,” Emma said with a smile. “When you love what you do, work isn't really work at all. Lee – um, my boss, is always asking me why I stay so late, why I have no social life to speak of...” Emma trailed off. “Are you writing still?”

 

“I am,” Belle affirmed with a nod. “On the side, of course. And you don't have to dodge any issues with me, Emma. It's fine.”

 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it...”

 

“I've actually started seeing someone,” Belle said. “A new writer who was just signed to do a series of fantasy mystery novels. He actually calls it Lord of the Rings meets CSI,” Belle smirked. “I don't know about _that_ , but he seems like a good guy. We're taking it slow. Very, very slow.”

 

“Happy to hear it,” Emma said.

 

“His name is August. We'll have to get together or something. You'll love him. He doesn't notice... you know.”

 

“I don't notice it either,” Emma said. To her, Belle's face was just as beautiful as ever.

 

“Anyway...” Belle took a sip of her coffee. “What about you, are you seeing anybody?”

 

“Me? No. Definitely not. I mean, there was someone I asked out the other day but I don't think she's interested. Or maybe I'm not sure I'm interested in her. Then again, I might just be judging her by her family and associations, and that's never fair...”

 

“Alright,” Belle said with a smile that was more genuine this time. “Start from the beginning.”

 

“It's someone you know, actually.”

 

“Do tell.”

 

“Regina Valdez-Mills.”

 

“Are you serious?” Belle scoffed and looked away. “I see. And now it becomes clear.”

 

“What?”

 

“You didn't decide out of the blue to call me. This is about Rupert, isn't it? About Rupert and Zelena getting married?”

 

“Yes. I mean, no,” Emma looked down at her coffee cup as if she might find the right words for this moment in it. She looked up at Belle pleadingly. “Please don't be upset with me. When Regina mentioned it, I was shocked. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay... or find a way to let you know, if you didn't already. I'm sorry. I know it's none of my business.”

 

“I heard all about it. The announcement, the engagement party, the guest list made up of the one percent. The ring.” Belle winced a little. “Believe me, I know.”

 

“I was hoping that it wouldn't be difficult news for you.”

 

“Well, it was,” Belle said simply, looking at Emma with an even glance. “Feelings don't disappear at will. They go when they want to, it seems.”

 

It was Emma's turn to look away.

 

“I'm sorry if hearing that disappoints you after everything that happened, but I'm just being honest about how I feel. I loved him, Emma.”

 

“I know. I guess I just feel guilty. I urged you to move on, after... You might have chosen differently if not for me and Ruby. We pushed you not to take him back.”

 

Belle shook her head with a sad little smile. “It was my choice. The only choice I could make. He didn't leave me another.”

 

Emma dropped her head in her hands. “Ugh. You must hate me for dredging all this up. I feel horrible. I just...”

 

“I understand. You've always been a true friend to me, Emma. It was sweet of you to try to make sure I wasn't hurt, or going to be, by this news. Unfortunately that ship has sailed.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Emma said again, for a lack of anything better.

 

Belle waved a hand. “Forget it. It's not your fault. I just hope for your sake that when you fall in love it is a lot less complicated.”

 

“No worries on that front,” Emma said wearily. “Falling in love any time soon isn't on the agenda.”

 

“Never say never,” Belle said. “Who would have thought that Rupert and I... Well anyway. I just have one small bit of advice for you.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Be careful. Nobody should trust the Valdez-Millses. That whole crowd... they're not like us, Emma. When you play with fire, you get burned. I know that better than anyone.”

 

                                   

                                                                        ***

 

The next few days Emma kept herself busy with work and tried to keep Regina out of mind. Neither tactic was working. Every time she ventured out of her office, she wondered if she would run into Regina. When she stayed late, she wondered if Regina had stayed late too, and if she should go seek her out. She was curious, no – she was intrigued by Regina. She always had been. Her reserved manner made Emma want to know more about her, and her dark beauty made her all the more alluring. Rupert Gold wasn't a man Emma ever wanted to have anything to do with, and Zelena had flaunted her reckless behavior, running wild through school. That was a match made in hell, and whenever they crossed Emma's mind she was thankful Belle had gotten away from Rupert. She had no idea how she would feel if it was Belle engaged to him. She would have undoubtedly been asked to be a bridesmaid – Belle had no sisters. Would she have accepted? Even for sweet, loving, loyal friend Belle? She was never going to have to find out, but Regina was living that nightmare. It just made Regina all the more interesting to her, and despite Belle's warnings, she had a feeling that Regina was different from the others.

 

One day while on a break, Emma was scrolling through a news website when she saw a name that caught her eye. Mallory Drachen. She knew Mallory, and if she wasn't mistaken...

 

Her eyes skimmed the story and her hunch was confirmed. The article stated that Mallory Drachen, daughter of recently scandalized industrialist Oliver Drachen, was weathering the media firestorm surrounding her family at the home of her close friend Zelena Valdez-Mills, who, of course, the story noted was the bride-to-be of billionaire playboy Rupert Gold.

 

A wedding party embroiled in scandal. Emma wondered how Regina felt about it. In the brief exchange Emma had had with her, Regina didn't seem that pleased about the wedding. Emma made a firm decision to stop ducking away from her feelings and to seek Regina out that day. Something other than her re-awakened crush, some instinct Emma couldn't define, felt that she needed to learn more about this wedding and the people who were taking part in it.

 

At five thirty she went down to the third floor and looked around for Regina. When she saw her she walked right over without a plan in mind and said, “Hi.”

 

Regina looked startled. “Emma.”

 

“Staying late tonight?”

 

Regina shook her head. “I'm ready to get out of here, actually. I've been burning the candle at both ends.”

 

“Too much wedding planning?”

 

“If only. One of my sister's bridesmaids is going through a tough time. She considers it therapeutic to make my life miserable. Ordering me around is about the only thing that puts a smile on her face.”

 

“Sounds like the worst. Sorry.”

 

“I'm surviving.”

 

“So... want to get that drink? It sounds like you could use one.”

 

“It's a little early for me...” Regina hedged.

 

“How about an unfashionably early dinner at a shockingly unsuitable eatery? I know just the place.”

 

Regina seemed to waver, then smiled. “All right. Let me get these files back where they belong.”

 

“Great. I'll wait for you down in the lobby.”

 

Emma took the elevator down and checked her phone. There was a text from Belle asking if she was free that night. Emma quickly texted back her apologies just as Regina was walking toward her.

 

“Hey, ready?”

 

“Where are we going?” Regina asked with a shy smile that did funny things to Emma's heart.

 

“Just trust me,” Emma said. “I promise you'll love it. Or at least somewhat tolerate it.”

 

That got Regina to laugh. “Alright then.”

 

As they walked toward the entrance Emma caught sight of Lee crossing in front of them. She gave him a smile of hello that faded as she registered the quizzical, displeased look on his face.

 

 _What's wrong with him?_ Emma wondered.

 

To Regina she said, “Do you mind walking a little ways? It's not far and I've been sitting all day.”

 

“I don't mind at all.”

 

It was predictably warm outside but not too hot. The sidewalks were thronged with people on their way home. She walked along with Regina and silence for a few yards before they both spoke at once.

 

Emma laughed awkwardly. “Go ahead.”

 

“I guess it's not the question to ask but... why do you want to hang out with me?”

 

“I always wanted to. I didn't have the courage to ask you out before,” Emma said plainly. “I used to see you around, in classes and all that. You could say you made quite an impression on me. I just didn't act on it.”

 

“Really?”

 

Emma glanced at Regina and saw that her cheeks were pink. “One thing you should know about me upfront is that I'm very honest. To a fault.”

 

Regina laughed. “Noted.”

 

“I'm an open book. Kind of an over-sharer, too. Just never ask me a question that you don't want an answer to, and we'll be fine.” Emma gave Regina a sidelong glance and noticed her face closing up a little at her words. “Hey, are you okay? I wasn't being totally serious, you know.”

 

“No, I know.” Regina adjusted the strap on her bag and said, “Just don't expect the same from me. I'm not an open book and I don't overshare. Quite the opposite, actually. And there are some questions I probably won't answer.” Regina looked at Emma as if gauging the reaction to her words. “Will that be a problem?”

 

“Not at all,” Emma said lightly, looking straight ahead. “As long as you're aware that I'm persistent. I'm not an investigator for nothing. If I have a question and I'm not getting answers, I'm probably going to find a new way to ask.”

 

Regina's laugh was low, soft. The sound made a faint thrill go up Emma's spine. “Touché. I do have an important question for you, actually.”

 

“Shoot.”

 

“Are we there yet?”

 

Emma laughed. “It's just right over there,” Emma said, gesturing to a diner across the street.

 

“’Granny's’,” Regina read the sign above the building. “Looks... retro.”

 

Emma held back another laugh at the dubious look on Regina's face.

 

Regina looked over to her with a weak smile. “I've never been.”

 

“Oh, I know. Come on.”

 

                                                                                    ***

 

“See? Not so bad, is it?” They had placed their orders and were waiting for their food. “It's clean, it's friendly, and all sorts of people come here. Good food, too.”

 

“It's nice,” Regina said, leaning back into the booth's cushion and looking around. Her dark eyes met Emma's. “Unexpected.”

 

“Are you talking about the diner, me, or both?”

 

Regina smiled and looked down, tucking dark hair behind her ear. “Both, I guess. You're not at all what I'd been led to believe.”

 

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Now this is getting even more interesting. What exactly _were_ you led to believe about me?”

 

Once again, the playfulness of her words didn't seem to reach Regina, who had started to look a little troubled.

 

“I get it,” Emma hastened to add. “Governor's daughter. People have certain expectations. The thing about my parents is that they always let me be whomever I wanted to be. _They_ had no expectations whatsoever, only that I worked hard, stayed out of trouble, and treated other people the way I wanted to be treated.”

 

“That's a lot of freedom to have,” Regina said with a hint of wistfulness.

 

“Well, it hasn't been all perfect,” Emma said. “We're currently at odds over my career choice.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“I want to work in law enforcement,” Emma said simply. “I want to be a cop. Then a detective. And after that, who knows?”

 

“I never would have guessed it.”

 

“Those pesky expectations again?” Emma smiled. “Yeah, well, they don't agree. They both think it's far too dangerous. My mother especially is terrified I may get hurt. She feels so strongly about it there are moments she's almost convinced me to give up on it altogether. I hate seeing her stressed, but... I have to go with my gut, you know?”

 

Regina nodded, her face soft with interest as she took this story in.

 

“Anyway, my father worked out a compromise. I work one year in the investigative unit at Diamond & Associates to be sure this is really want to do with my life, and then we all get together, sit down, and try to come to an agreement. He was hoping that I would change my mind about joining the police force if I liked what I was doing enough. It's definitely a cool job, and I enjoy it, but... it's not what I want.” Emma looked down at her hands. “I'm not sure how to tell them or how that conversation is even going to go.”

 

“I understand,” Regina said.

 

“I'm sorry,” Emma shook her head. “I'm talking about myself a lot, aren't I? The perils of going on a date with an open book.” She realized she had just called it a date and felt her cheeks flush a little.

 

“I don't mind; I appreciate you telling me. You're so forthright. It's refreshing.” Regina sighed.  “At least you know what you want and have a plan for your future. Your parents seem to just want to keep you safe. My parents demand excellence in whatever it is they decide I should do next. They – my mother, actually – wants me to climb. My whole life is about competing with someone else for reasons I don't understand.”

 

“Sounds like a lot of pressure,” Emma said sympathetically. “Who is it she wants you to compete with, anyway?”

 

Their food arrived before Regina could answer. Emma decided to lighten up the conversation a little. She joked with Regina about office politics and their brown-nosing peers at the firm. Their talk turned to old college associations, professors, and the miserable slog of some of their shared classes. Finally Emma decided to make a little confession.

 

“Do you remember the study group we were in for the Philosophies of Justice course?”

 

“I think so, yeah...” Regina tilted her head. “Seems like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?”

 

“It does, yeah. Do you remember how I kept asking you if you wanted to come out with the rest of the group to this or that place? And how you always said no?”

 

“I just... I didn't really socialize much with anyone.”

 

“Well, I thought it was me. That was my way of trying to get to know you better, and I intended to ask you out on an actual date in one of those group settings. But because you kept saying no, I just took it as a lack of interest in me and decided to let it go.”

 

 Regina appeared stunned by this. “Are you serious?”

 

“Oh yeah. I thought you were out of my league. I mean, that probably hasn't changed but...”

 

“Stop,” Regina giggled nervously. “If anything it's the other way around.” Their eyes met. “I'm glad that you asked me out.”

 

“I'm glad I asked again,” Emma said pointedly. “My initial instinct was correct – you did turn me down the first time, the other day in the office, remember?”

 

“Oh, but that wasn't because – I mean...” Regina looked flustered. “It wasn't because of you...”

 

“It's not a big deal,” Emma said, slightly amused at Regina's discomfiture. “Hey, I warned you that I'm persistent.”

 

There was a pause while Regina fiddled with the ends of her hair. Emma was beginning to notice it was a quirk of hers, playing with her hair whenever she got nervous.

 

“Emma,” Regina began slowly, “Do you know about any... issues between our two families?”

 

Of all the questions Regina could have asked, this was the one Emma was expecting the least. She blinked. “Issues? Like what?”

 

Emma's phone chose that moment to ring. “Excuse me for a sec.” She looked down at the display. It was Belle. Anyone else, and she wouldn't have taken the call, but Emma always had time for Belle. “I have to take this. It's... well, someone that may be having a hard time right now. Sorry.”

 

“Sure, go ahead,” Regina said.

 

Emma slid out of the booth as she answered the call. “Belle? What's up?” She gave Regina an apologetic glance and walked toward the quieter back hallway of the diner where the restrooms were. It turned out that Belle was just calling to invite her out with August for the evening, but Emma put her off, promising to call her back soon and set something up.

 

When Emma emerged from the hallway and looked toward their booth, she saw it was empty. She hurried over and found a note neatly written on a bit of paper, along with a twenty dollar bill.

 

_Sorry. Had to go. - R._

“Seriously?” Emma muttered, shoving the note and bill into her pocket. She slumped down into the booth and a waitress came by to clear the plates.

 

“Is that all for tonight?” The waitress asked with a smile.

 

“Yeah, seems so. Could I get the check, please?”

 

                                                                        ***

 

When she arrived home, Emma dropped her stuff by the door, kicked off her shoes and went right for the phone. She put on a corner lamp and got comfortable in her overstuffed reading chair. She dialed ten numbers she knew by heart and got a familiar voice on the line that made her feel better instantly.

 

“Hi, Mom.”

 

“Emma! How are you? Is everything alright?”

 

“Everything is fine, why wouldn't it be?”

 

“You never call me in the middle of the week, and at this hour. Are you sure everything is okay?”

 

“Is Dad at home?”

 

“Emma.” Her mother, Mary Margaret, put on her warning voice.

 

“Well, is he?”

 

“He's got a lot going on right now but he always has time for you. I can get him if you want.”

 

“No, it's fine. I just wanted to see how you guys were doing.”

 

“How are _you_ doing?” Mary Margaret probed. Emma smiled to herself. She came by her persistent nosiness honestly.

 

“Alright. I went on a date tonight, and it ended abruptly. I'm calling to find something out,” Emma admitted.

 

“What's that?” Mary Margaret said in a tone that was uncharacteristically sharp.

 

“Mom, what's wrong?” Emma asked. “You don't sound right.”

 

“Nothing.”

 

But Emma could tell immediately that wasn't the truth.

 

Her mom switched subjects. “What did you want to know? And who were you out with, by the way? I didn't know you were seeing anybody.”

 

“I'm not. I mean, I am, but not, like... officially. It was our first date. She works for Lee, too.”

 

“And it ended abruptly, and so you needed to call home to find something out? Who was this date with?”

 

“I don't get this interrogation, Mom. What gives?” Emma's question was met with unnerving silence. “Mom?”

 

“Please answer me first, honey. Who were you on a date with?”

 

“Nobody you know. If this conversation isn't going to go anywhere until you have her name, it's Regina. Regina Valdez-Mills. Satisfied?”

 

The silence on the other end of the line made Emma feel guilty immediately. “I'm sorry, Mom. I don't mean to be rude. I just don't know why everyone's behaving so strangely tonight. Full moon? Solar flare?”

 

“Honey,” Mary Margaret said carefully, “I think you should probably stay away from that girl.”

 

“But why? That's what I was calling to ask you! She said something about there being an issue between our families and was asking if I knew anything about it, I excused myself for two seconds to take a call, and she was gone. What is it?”

 

Mary Margaret sighed. “It's too much to explain on the phone right now. Just stay away from her.”

 

“I won't.” Emma said firmly. “Not until I hear a rational reason why I should.”

 

“Emma –”

 

“No, you know what? I'm tired of you trying to control my life. I'm an adult. I make my own choices. And you might as well know now that I'm not staying at Diamond. I'm leaving, and I'm going to enlist in the academy. Let Dad know when he gets a spare minute, would you? I have to go.”

 

“Emma! Don't hang up on me. I will explain everything in time but please, just... stay away from the Valdez-Millses. For me.”

 

“Goodnight, mom.” Emma shut off her phone and slapped it down on the side table in disgust. She wasn't proud of herself in that moment and she was more confused than ever. More than anything, she wanted to know why Regina had run away from their date. Had she done something wrong?

 

She thought over their conversation but her mind's eye wouldn't cooperate as she tried to recall Regina's expressions just before Emma had stepped away to take the call. Instead all she could see was the quizzical, disturbed look on Lee's face as he had seen her walking out with Regina. He probably had the same feelings about her hanging out with Regina that her mother did.

 

 _Stay away from them._ Two people she cared about had said it, and Lee would likely be the third. But why?

All Emma knew was that she needed answers. And that she didn't want to take their advice to stay away from Regina. She wouldn't.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina struggled not to trip over the leash being wound around her ankles by the excitable Dalmatian puppy running in circles around her feet. She heard passerby giggling as she stumbled and then hopped on one foot, trying to untangle herself. Her face felt hot and she knew she must look ridiculous. She managed to get it together and followed as the puppy took off at a run and she scurried along after him, trying to make sure the leash didn't harm him by pulling too tight. She felt eyes staring at her and she stumbled again in her heels. She stopped, trying to regain her balance, and the puppy began to strain at the leash, barking sharply and lunging toward a man passing by. He veered out of the puppy's way and glared at Regina.

 

“Control your dog,” he snapped as he went past.

 

Regina wanted to snap back that it wasn't her dog, that she'd just been enlisted to walk it and clean up after it, and that she didn't know how to keep a puppy from running around, tripping her up, and barking at strangers.

 

The puppy was sniffing eagerly at the sidewalk as if seeking something. Regina took the opportunity to wrap the excess length of leash around her hand. She sighed deeply and looked around. The puppy squatted and did what she brought him out here to do. With a face crinkled in distaste, she took the bag that Elle had instructed her to bring along and picked up the mess and tossed it into the nearest trash can. She tried to lead the puppy, who wasn't interested in going anywhere all of a sudden, back the way they came towards the boutique where final bridesmaid dress fittings were underway. The puppy barked twice when she tried to urge him along gently with the leash and then began to whine.

 

“Oh, you poor little thing,” Regina said. She picked the puppy up with her free hand, and the little ball of fur began to wriggle around like crazy until it was jumping out of her arms back to the sidewalk, and she was bending over wildly to make sure it didn't hurt itself falling too far. More passerby laughter. In a huff, Regina scooped up the puppy and gripped him under one arm, marching with purpose down the street. She fumbled with the door of the boutique and the puppy nipped at her fingers.

 

“Ow!” Regina cried, half in and half out of the boutique. Tears sprang to her eyes and she looked down at the puppy, betrayed. She could have sworn the puppy had a glint in its eyes like it had meant to inflict pain. “Why did you do that?” Regina muttered. She set the puppy down and unhooked the leash as the boutique door closed behind her. The puppy ran off in the direction of the voices coming from one of the rooms toward the rear of the boutique and Regina followed.

 

“What happened to you?” Mallory asked with a sneer as Regina appeared in the room. “Don't tell me that even walking that mutt was too difficult a task for you to manage.”

 

Regina didn't answer, but instead handed the leash back to Ella, who snatched it from her and dropped it into a bag without a word of thanks, before ordering the now compliant puppy to lie down, which it did.

 

Rolling her eyes, Regina exited again and asked a saleswoman where the restroom was so that she could freshen up. She washed her hands and smoothed her hair. Her reflection in the mirror above the sink looked tired as she felt, tired of the stress, guilt, and exhaustion she was feeling. She briefly considered disappearing altogether and leaving the job she didn't want and the wedding she dreaded behind. The thought cheered her up for a moment, but she knew she couldn't do that to her father. And really, running away from her problems wouldn't solve anything. She had to figure out how to face them.

 

If she was honest with herself, running was exactly what she had been doing with Emma. It just seemed easier to put distance between them than take a risk on developing real feelings for someone she knew her parents didn't want her to associate with – not to mention the fact that if Emma knew the truth about her, she probably wouldn't want anything to do with Regina.

 

Regina did want to make things right, she just didn't know how. And she couldn't escape the feeling that she was being punished.

 

Steeling herself, Regina went back to the fitting rooms and took her dress off a rack, a delicate thing in a shade of blush pink that brought out the color in her cheeks. She changed and went back to the room with the others, who had also changed in her absence. The dresses matched but the colors had been chosen with care in varying shades of pink. Lined up together as they were now, they looked like a collection of slim blossoms. The softer colors had been Regina's idea. Zelena had wanted everyone in blood red.

 

Zelena eyed the foursome who stood in front of her for inspection critically. “You all look lovely. Smiles on, please. You're going to a wedding, not a wake.”

 

“I despise pink,” Elle pouted. “ _Honestly_ , Zelena. Pink is so not you. Is it too late to change to red?”

 

“Yes,” Zelena said firmly.

 

“I still think blues would have suited us all better,” Ursula drawled, turning this way and that in front of the mirror. She placed a hand on her hip. “It'll do, I suppose.”

 

“Pink was Regina's idea,” Mallory said. She rolled her eyes at the seamstress and Zelena pulling and tucking the fabric around her waist. “How long is this going to take? I want to get out of here.”

 

“Patience,” Zelena counselled as another seamstress appeared and had Ursula stand on a step to see how the fabric was flowing.

 

“Don't stab me with any pins, lady,” Ursula warned. She made a show of checking her diamond-encrusted watch. “I've got places to be.”

 

Ella's puppy wandered over to the step and licked at Ursula's toes, open as they were in strappy heels. Ursula's face registered distaste and she nudged the puppy with her foot. “El, get it away from me. I think it’s hungry and my toes are _not_ a snack.”

 

Ella grabbed up the puppy and stroked his head gently with a glare at Ursula. “Mind yourself with my dog. There, there Nero.” She hugged the dog closer. “What's with the diva act, anyway? Your time isn't any more valuable than any of ours, darling. Except maybe Mallory's,” she smirked.

 

“You know, I wondered why they let that speckled rat you call a dog in here, but it makes sense considering a bitch like you is welcome,” Mallory said to Ella with a sweet smile.

 

“Girls,” Zelena sing-songed. “This is my wedding. Let these ladies do their jobs and we can all go home. Alright? Regina, go see if they can get us some champagne in here.”

 

Regina bit her tongue and gratefully stepped away from the resumed bickering. _It won't be much longer. Just deal with it. Remember what Daddy said. Do your duty. Make him proud._  

 

At least Zelena was using her name now when she ordered Regina around. It had taken her days to thaw out after she overheard Regina referencing the incident with Belle.

 

Out in the front of the shop, Regina saw the obsequious boutique owner interrupt the talk she was having with a male customer to hurry over to Regina.

 

“Was there anything you needed?”

 

“The girls want some champagne,” Regina said with a hint of apology in her voice.

 

“Not a problem at all, we have some on hand. I'll bring it in myself.”

 

“Thank you,” Regina said.

 

The others were still bickering when she got back. It was Regina's turn to stand on the little platform and be scrutinized by the seamstress. Thankfully there were no more alterations to be made to her dress. It fit beautifully. She could go.

 

She stepped down and was about to depart when the owner arrived with the champagne. She knew it wouldn't look good to Zelena if she didn't take part in a toast and hang around long enough to have a sip or two. Zelena didn't seem to want her around, but if Regina had tried to spend as little time around the group as possible, she knew she would be accused of being difficult. With an inner sigh, she forced a smile as she took a glass and waited for the owner to hand around the other glasses.

 

“A toast,” Mallory said grandly, “To the bride and to us. To new beginnings.”

 

“And, _and_ ,” Zelena held up a finger, “Congratulations are in order for our Ursula as well,” she said. “She missed a recording session to be here today. To her new record deal!”

 

“Hear, hear,” Regina chimed in, raising her glass. None of them touched glasses with her. Their little circle closed and Zelena and Mallory's backs were to her. Why did she even bother? She put her glass back on the tray without drinking any and went into the changing room where she'd left her clothes and shoes. She wriggled out of the dress carefully, managing to unhook it herself rather than ask anyone for help. She replaced it on the hanger and put her own clothes back on.

 

One more thing done. As much as she dreaded seeing her sister wed to a man she despised, she couldn't wait for all of it to be over. The shop owner was still hovering around, and Regina gave her the dress with another thank you for all her help through the process. Regina was going to duck in, say goodbye, and be on her way.

 

She could see the champagne had improved everyone's mood. Ursula was currently motioning for more champagne as she bragged about the producers her label was setting her up with. Rather than pour more, an attendant shop girl brought Ursula the tray with Regina's untouched glass and took her empty glass from Ursula's hand.

 

“I've got Grennell, Forestree, Vexx, The Freebasers... the label has gone all out for me. Beyoncé _who_?” The foursome laughed. The puppy yipped excitedly. Regina rolled her eyes.

 

“Zee, I'm going to go. Unless you needed anything else? I'll see you Friday.”

 

Zelena waved a bored hand. “Right. See you.” She put her attention back on Ursula. “Have you met Vexx yet? I heard he's supposed to be quite the little... Ursula? What's wrong?”

 

Ursula was leaning forward with her hand around her throat. She dropped the champagne on the floor and looked up with huge eyes. Her mouth tried for form words but no sound came out.

 

“What on earth?” Ella seemed more curious than horrified.

 

Ursula took a troubled breath inwards that sounded like a throttled wheeze.

 

“Call an ambulance!” Regina cried. She dropped her bag and wrapped an arm around Ursula's waist, helping her to sit down. The other girl seemed to be hyperventilating. “I think she might be having an allergic reaction! Do you have an emergency kit? An Epi Pen?”

 

“I–I think so...” The owner said, running out of the room.

 

“Ursula,” Regina said with deliberate quietness. “Look at me, hurry, look at me.”

 

Ursula turned terrified eyes on Regina.

 

“Can you breathe in? Nod.”

 

Ursula nodded frantically, again her lips moving with no sound but tortured breaths coming out.

 

“Someone _do_ something!” Zelena wailed.

 

“What is it? Draw it on my hand,” Regina said, as calmly as she could. Ursula could breathe, that was the main thing.

 

Regina held her hand out and with quaking fingers Ursula quickly spelled out the word 'Burning'.

 

“Your mouth?”

 

Ursula shook her head.

 

“Your throat?”

 

Ursula nodded then hurriedly spelled out 'Can't talk.'

 

“She says her throat is burning and she can't talk,” Regina informed the others. “She was fine a minute ago.” She frowned. “Do you think it could have been the champagne?”

 

“Wouldn't it have bothered all of us?” Mallory said. “More likely she's having an allergic reaction to Ella's mutt.”

 

“Something's not right here,” Regina murmured, rubbing a hand on Ursula's back. “These horrible things keep happening to us. What if –”

 

“You're being ridiculous,” Mallory's voice was thick with scorn. “I've never met anyone more dramatic in my life. Go out front and wait for the ambulance. You're making things worse.”

 

“Just go, Regina,” Zelena said. “Weren't you leaving anyway? We'll take it from here.”

 

Regina shook her head and stood up. She glanced at Ursula who gave her a little nod. She seemed a little calmer now, but her breathing sounded terrible. “Alright.” _They care more about putting me in my place than helping her. Poor thing. I hope she'll be okay._

 

On her way to the door paramedics brushed past her in a hurry. It was in the hands of the professionals now.

 

Outside it was bright and hot, but Regina felt cold to the core. She hurried into a cab that just happened to be at the sidewalk. She shakily gave the cabbie and address and looked out the window at the boutique.

 

Ursula was being wheeled out in a stretcher. Zelena was walking beside her and seemed to be giving her assurances. Zelena looked up, as if feeling Regina's eyes on her, just as the cab pulled away.

 

Something was wrong, very wrong, and nobody seemed to be aware of it but Regina. She wasn't being dramatic. These things that were happening to people she knew weren't just coincidences. Ella's dog, the only thing she loved in the world, was callously killed. Mallory's money and family name, the two most important things in the world to a snob like her, were gone. Ursula's voice... something had just happened that left her unable to talk. What was going on?

 

Those women weren't her friends and yet Regina spent the rest of that night feeling horrible for them. Her texts to Zelena asking how Ursula was doing only received vague, stilted replies.

 

 _'She'll be fine. Calm down._ '

 

But Regina couldn't calm down. What if she had been the one to drink that champagne? It was like she was being taunted by the universe, punished for all that she had done, all the messes of the clique she had cleaned up. She was still cleaning up after them, only this time it was their own suffering, not someone else's, left in the aftermath. It gave Regina a creepy feeling, like she was being watched, and even worse, that she may be next.

 

                                                                                    ***

 

Regina was so jumpy at work the next day that she didn't bother with the usual routine of avoiding Emma by arriving as late as she dared and trying to duck out as early as she was able. There was no news of Ursula except that she was resting in the hospital and still couldn't speak. Unable to get much out of Zelena, Regina had stooped to Googling for updates. Music blogs were talking about Ursula mysteriously falling ill, and spreading a rumor that her label wasn't best pleased that she'd been out partying instead of in the studio. The producer, Vexx, that she was supposed to be working with was so put out by Ursula’s cancellations that he'd given the track they were meant to work on to another up-and-coming young singer instead.

 

It didn't seem fair. Ursula wasn't Regina's favorite person but did she really deserve this? As long as she had known her, Ursula had been determined to have a successful singing career. Not only that, she had studied music theory and was a good songwriter.

 

In her fearful mindset, Regina had considered that maybe it was someone out to get them all, some long-forgotten enemy that wanted to pay them back for a bad turn the clique had done them. People could stew on things forever, Regina knew very well – her own mother's unforgiving attitude had influenced Regina's whole life.

 

But the more she thought about it, the more unrealistic the theory became. Nobody could have known that Ursula would take that particular glass of champagne or have that type of physical reaction. The whole thing was just wild enough to be down to chance. Bad luck. Karmic retribution.

 

Lost in such deep thoughts, Regina was in a fog most of the day at work. When her boss asked her to go to the fourth floor and look for a certain case file she obeyed without even thinking about running into Emma – which of course, she immediately did.

 

Emma's eyes widened when the elevator door opened. Regina took a moment and walked out. Emma went into the elevator, then came back out.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

“Hello.”

 

“How have you been?”

 

“Not that great, actually,” Regina ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I'm sorry about the other night. I shouldn't have run off like that. It doesn't have anything to do with you. It's...”

 

“It's our families,” Emma finished for her. “I know.”

 

Regina was shocked. “You do?”

 

They both moved out of the way as someone else was trying to get to the elevator. Emma took Regina by the elbow and led her toward an empty conference room and closed the door.

 

“I don't know whatever it is, is. But I know that people keep telling me to stay away from your family.”

 

“Me too,” Regina sighed. “And I don't understand why. They won't tell me. They treat me like a child, expecting me to just do what they say without question. They figure the command is enough,” Regina said bitterly.

 

“Is that why you left me the other night? I have to admit it kind of hurt. I thought we were getting along great.”

 

“We were! We do. It's not just the family thing. There's something you don't know...”

 

“You're a Jets fan?”

 

Regina frowned. “What?”

 

“Sorry, bad joke. I really need to stop telling them, because you don't like them at all,” Emma said, cringing. “Look, whatever it is, it can't be that bad. I want to keep getting to know you.”

 

Regina averted her gaze from the intense look in Emma's green eyes. “I want to keep getting to know you, too. But if you knew –”

 

“Knew what? About your sister and her friends? I know. Everyone on campus knew then, and every gossip blog and tabloid out there knows now. Trouble with a capital T. But that's okay with me... because you're not.”

 

“A lot of people have the wrong idea about me. Whether that idea happens to be good or bad.”

 

“Sounds like every other person in the world. What does it matter? Every time we talk it sounds more and more like you're tired of being told what to do.”

 

“I am.”

 

“Well, so am I,” Emma said with a little smile. “We can make our own decisions. Starting right now.”

 

Emma stepped closer and Regina caught her breath. She looked over her shoulder to make sure the binds of the conference room were closed.

 

“Listen. You have to let me tell you, Emma...” Regina breathed. Emma was so close now that Regina could feel the warmth radiating off her skin.

 

“You have to let me show you that whatever it is, I don't care,” Emma murmured.

 

Regina closed her eyes as their lips met. When she opened her eyes again, Emma was smiling at her.

 

“I've been wanting to do that for so long, you have no idea.”

 

Regina giggled in spite of herself. “So do it again.”

 

And Emma did, longer this time, with one hand reaching out for Regina's waist, and the other caressing the side of her face ever so gently. Regina felt all her fears and worries slip away in that moment, and it was just the two of them.

 

                                                                                    ***

 

They were in the elevator again after work, this time making plans, happy, smiling. Regina found it a lot easier to put everything out of her mind as long as she was with Emma. Emma made her feel better than she had in who knew how long.

 

“Want to go get a drink or something? We can go anywhere. No Granny's.”

 

Regina laughed briefly. “It wasn't so bad. The lasagna was pretty good.”

 

“You pick this time,” Emma said. “We'll go where you want to go.”

 

Emma was moving in for another kiss when the elevator doors opened. It was one of those moments when the brain registers disaster before the body can react. Regina turned her head just before Emma could kiss her, and beheld none other than her mother, striding across the lobby floor to the elevator.

 

Cora stopped and stood as she took in the scene. Her face was inscrutable.

 

“What's wrong?” Emma was asking. She turned her head to look at Cora as well.

 

“Oh no.” Regina said. “I... I have to go. I'm so sorry. I, um...” Regina got out of the elevator and was walking backwards still looking at a confused Emma. “It's my mother. I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

Emma just nodded, and took a few steps out of the elevator.

 

Regina felt humiliated as Cora said in a crisp, sharp tone, “Come along, Regina.”

 

Regina just kept walking out of the doors and got right into the waiting town car with the familiar driver standing at attention by the door. She sat in the far corner and made herself small, as small as she felt just then.

 

Cora said a few words to the driver, got in and waited while he closed the door.

 

They sat in silence until the car began to move and Cora spoke.

 

“Regina.”

 

“Don't say it, Mother. Okay? Just don't. I am an adult. You cannot tell me who I can see or what I can do anymore. These are _my_ choices to make.” Regina's voice had the quiver of unshed tears in it, and in that moment she despised herself for sounding so childlike.

 

“Regina,” Cora said again, in a voice that resonated patience.

 

“No, Mother. I'm tired of just doing what I'm told. I'm going to do what I want with my life. I'm leaving Diamond & Associates. I'm going to try to get my old job back at the other firm. The job I got for my _self_ , remember?”

 

“You want me to respect your choices but you base them in rebellion, like some wayward teenager. _Honestly_ , Regina.” Cora turned and looked her in the eye. “What am I going to do with you? Have you learned nothing?”

 

“Tell me your problem with the Nolans. I deserve to know.”

 

Cora turned her head and gazed out the window at the streets moving by them.

 

“Even when you're like this, I can say that you and your sister are the best thing I've ever done. My greatest accomplishments.”

 

 _“Mother._ ”

“No, I mean that. I grew up with nothing, you know. With nobody but my father. He didn't care how I got by in the world. His alcohol, his worthless friends down at the bar, and his dreams were enough for him. And dreams have a value – but they weren't enough for me. I wanted more. I was a poor girl with nothing but her own ambition and refusal to quit to rely on.”

Regina had heard a version of this story before, but never so bluntly said by such a wistful Cora.

“All I ever wanted for you girls was to give you the opportunities I never had. A place in the circles I was shut out from, until I married your father.” There was a pause. “You said that you wanted to be a part of this family.”

“I do, Mother. I am.”

“Well in _this_ family, we do not associate with the Nolans.”

“Why?” Regina cried. “Just tell me why!”

“They destroy.”

The words were simple, but so baffling. “What? What are you even _talking_ about, Mother?”

“Believe me. I know them better than you. None of them are what they seem. What they pretend to the world to be.”

“Neither am I, Mother,” Regina said bitterly. “Neither is Zelena. We, your two greatest accomplishments.” A tear slipped down Regina's cheek. “You think we're good? I'm not. But Emma is. Emma is funny, and kind, and _normal_. She doesn't know a thing about this feud, nor does she care. What she cares about is me.” Regina took a deep breath. “I'm not going to fight a battle for you, especially when you don't seem to understand what you're fighting against.”

Cora looked at Regina as if she was seeing her for the first time. “You think I don't know, Regina?” There was a bemused look in her eyes.

“Know what?”

“What you, and your sister, and her little friends did to Belle French? Did you really think I didn't know? Did you think you covered it up so well that you couldn't be caught?”

Regina felt cold all over. “Did Zelena tell you?”

“No. I've always known what she was getting up to in school. I knew you couldn't stop her. I made you think I wanted you to babysit her and keep her out of trouble. What I was really trying to do was foster a sense of loyalty and sisterhood between you. You thought you were saving the day when it was really I who was handling things. It's always been me, Regina. It always will be.”

Regina shook her head. “Why? Why would you put me in that position?”

“It worked, didn't it? When push came to shove, you not only helped your sister win back the man she loved from an interloper, you engineered the plan. You chose her over your misgivings. You put family first. I was so proud of you.”

Regina blinked and stared at her mother in disbelief. “It can't be.”

“But it is. And I've taken care of everything. When she found a job, I got her fast tracked to editor. When she finally decides on a surgery for that dreadful scar on her face, there will be a generous surprise bonus from her employer – through me, of course – to cover the cost in full. I've even made sure a non-threatening, very understanding young author was thrown in her path to show her some romantic interest and keep your sister's fiancé out of her mind.” Cora smiled ever so slightly. “There's nothing I wouldn't do for my girls.” She reached over and stroked Regina's hair.

“You say you aren't good, Regina, but all that guilt you felt shows that you are. Let it go, hm? It's time to grow up. Whatever debt you owed to Belle French, it's been paid. The score is settled. Move forward – but not with Emma Nolan. Trust me, you don't what to be around them when the whirlwind hits – as it inevitably will, if my sources are correct.”

Regina buried her face in her hands, unsure of what to think.

“Come along, my love. We're here.”

Regina looked up and realized the car had stopped, and they were outside the hospital.

“Let's go in for a visit and see how Ursula is doing, hm? You'll feel better afterwards. I know my girl,” Cora said with a fondness that felt so foreign Regina couldn't process it.

Without a further word, Regina followed her mother out of the car and through the hospital's front doors.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma knocked on the door of her mother's study and waited.

 

“Come in.”

 

When Emma opened the door she registered the surprise and a bit of dismay on her mother's face from the chair she was seated in behind a desk. She looked down, obviously flustered, and fumbled with a manila envelope that she quickly put in a drawer.

 

“Emma! What are you doing here?”

 

“I had to talk to you, and I didn't want to do it over the phone. So I decided to drive up. Johanna told me you would be here all weekend.” Emma said, referring to the family's faithful housekeeper. “Where's Dad?”

 

Mary Margaret smiled at Emma. “He's in the city today. He'll probably call your apartment later trying to set up a dinner date or something. You should have let us know you would be here.”

 

“It's alright. I wanted to talk to you anyway,” Emma said, taking a seat. “What were you doing?”

 

“Nothing,” Mary Margaret said. Emma could easily see it wasn't the truth, but she let it go. She had other questions to ask.

 

“Mom, I'm just going to cut right to the chase. I really want to know why you told me to stay away from the Valdez-Millses, and why Regina's family wants her to stay away from me. I think I deserve to know.”

 

“Emma, sometimes the search for truth leads you to places you don't want to go. Sometimes it's just better to leave well enough alone.”

 

Emma smiled. “You know me better than that, Mom. When I want the truth, nothing can stop me. And I'm usually pretty good at finding out what I want to know, one way or another. It's one of the reasons I think I would make a pretty good detective, by the by.”

 

“You probably would,” Mary Margaret said, coming out from behind her desk to join Emma on the couch. She stroked a loving hand over Emma's hair. “You're just like your father in a lot of ways, you know. I see so much of him in you.”

 

“That's very sweet, Mom, but it's not on topic,” Emma said with a smile. Her face grew more serious. “Please tell me what happened with you and Dad and Regina's mom.”

 

Mary Margaret sighed. “A long time ago your grandmothers did something very wrong to Regina's mom. She's never forgotten it or forgiven it. She carries the grudge against your Dad and me... and probably you.”

 

“What did they do?”

 

Mary Margaret cleared her throat. “It's not the most pleasant of topics, but my mother intervened once in Cora's life when she shouldn't have. Cora was engaged to a Senator's son. Your grandmother found out somehow that Cora was already pregnant when she accepted his proposal. She told Cora's fiancé, and he ended the engagement. David's mother was quite a gossip, and spread the news everywhere, ruining Cora's reputation. I'm afraid there was a lot of classism involved in the situation. Things were pretty bleak for Cora for a while, but then she met Henry Valdez soon after she had her baby. Not only was his family rich enough to buy us all, they had the clout to influence elections. That Senator wasn't elected. A scandal brought him down and his family lost everything.”

 

“Wow. I never knew it went so deep. No wonder Cora hates us.” Emma's mind was reeling with this new information.

 

“It goes even deeper than that, I'm afraid. My mother told me all about it once as a warning. She told me to be very careful about how I meddle in other people's lives, because it can have unintended consequences. And that revenge, once it's inflamed in the heart of another toward you and all that you hold dear, can start a fire that can never be put out.”

 

Mary Margaret's face took on a distant look. “Mother was right about that. Cora confronted me once at a party. Oh, she was pleasant enough but she made it clear that she hadn't moved on from the past. She threw what my mother had done in my face, with an added detail. She said that my mother's actions had caused the death of her child's father. Remember the Senator's son?”

 

Emma's heart sank as she nodded.

 

“Well,” Mary Margaret continued, “His father had some military experience, and somehow he was able to pull some very long strings to get the father of Cora's child demoted, transferred, and placed on a dangerous mission. A mission where he was killed in combat.”

 

“No...” Emma whispered, shocked.

 

“I don't know if it's true, but it wouldn't surprise me. I've known the cruelty of men with power. Your father has too.” Mary Margaret sighed. “Ever since then, Cora has done all she could to bring our family down. She blames your grandmothers for starting the chain of events that lead to her lover's death and nearly destroyed her life. She's our implacable enemy, Emma. She won't stop until she ruins us the way she saw that Senator ruined. I've always known. Your father... well, he's beginning to see, but I fear it may be too late.”

 

“What do you mean, too late?” Emma said. “What's going on?”

 

“Your father and I are being blackmailed.”

 

“ _What_? How?”

 

“Some compromising photos.”

 

“Of Dad? I don't get it. He wouldn't...” Emma trailed off.

 

Mary Margaret stood up and went back to the desk drawer where she had placed the envelope, retrieved it, and brought it back to Emma.

 

“I wasn't going to tell you about this – I was hoping to shield you from it. But now I don't think I'll be able to.” Mary Margaret handed over the envelope. “Before you open it, I want you to know that your father denies that these are pictures of him. I'm choosing to believe him. But I don't have an explanation for what you're going to see.”

 

Emma pulled photos out of the envelope with shaking hands. She flipped through them quickly.

 

It certainly looked like her father. In fact, she had no doubt it was him. A double. It had to be. Some sick plot with an actor who looked like her father. There he was with his arm around a young blonde woman. The next photo startled Emma so much her body quaked forward. She looked up at her mother, who had a pained sort of look on her face, then back down at the photo.

 

It wasn't just any young blonde. Emma knew her. It was Mallory Drachen. She flipped hurriedly through the rest of the pictures, which seemed to show her father consoling Mallory before the two of them were entwined in an embrace.

 

“This is insane. Dad would never. And it looks like this happened out in the open somewhere, like a park. Ridiculous.”

 

“There have been letters, too, saying that they have a video. Whoever is doing this hasn't made a demand yet.”

 

“It's like psychological torture,” Emma murmured, looking down at the most incriminating photo with a sick feeling in her stomach. “They want you to obsess over it and fear what could happen next.”

 

“Well then, they've gotten what they wanted. I've barely slept in three weeks.”

 

Emma tossed the photos aside and gave her mother a hug. “Why didn't you tell me what was going on?”

 

“I didn't want you to worry. And then when you told me about your new friend...” Mary Margaret sighed. “You might as well know that we suspect Cora is the one behind this.”

 

“Mallory is staying with Cora right now to avoid the media.”

 

Mary Margaret nodded. “I know.”

 

Her eyes seemed clouded and Emma was concerned. “You _do_ believe Dad, right? I know this girl, Mom. If Dad was ever going to have an affair – which he _never_ would – it wouldn't be with a nasty piece of work like her.”

 

“I know. I know. I just keep thinking about what my mother told me about Cora. She was in the wrong. Cora has a right to feel the way she does. I want to make it right but there's no way I can think of to do so.”

 

“We're going to get through this. I'll think of something. Just keep believing in Dad and hang on.”

 

“I'm so sorry to bring you into this, Emma.”

 

Emma shook her head. “We've had enough secrets, don't you think? I'd rather have everything out in the open.” Emma put the photos back in the envelope. “Can I take this with me?”

 

“Keep it safe.”

 

“I will.” Emma leaned over and gave her mom another hug. “I'm going back to the city. I'll call you when I have something. Don't worry.”

 

 

                                                                        ***

 

Emma plotted her next moves the whole way back to the city. She wasn't an investigator for nothing. She would approach this logically, figure out what was going on, and find a way to save her parents and her relationship with Regina. If you could even call what they had a relationship. It seemed like destiny was determined to nip whatever it was in the bud. But Emma was determined to see it through. Regina was a kind, smart, decent person, who also happened to be beautiful in a way a person didn't see every day. She was rare, she was fascinating, she was complicated. And Emma wanted to explore what they could be. It wasn't fair that something that happened twenty five years ago would determine what happened in the now.

 

Emma grimaced at the turn her thoughts had taken and tried to focus on the matter at hand. It wasn't necessarily Cora who had done this, although the evidence seemed pretty incriminating, it was all still circumstantial. She wondered if talking to Cora directly would yield much. She didn't know, but she could try.

 

To calm her thoughts, Emma decided to put the radio on as she drove. There was a news report on. Her hands tightened around the wheel as she listened.

 

“... _industrialist financier Oliver Drachen has been released from prison where he was awaiting trial on $10 million in bail. Many are wondering why the judge’s original ruling to remand Drachen until trial was overturned. The judge overseeing the case, Melanie Braun, could not be reached for comment. FBI deputy director Andrea Wilson issued a statement this morning on the recent_...”

 

Emma reached over and turned the radio back off. Drachen released, a judge’s ruling overturned. Her father was in the city. Was it possible...?

 

No. He would never. But if anyone ever suspected that he, the governor, was pulling strings to help a sidepiece's white collar criminal daddy, the demands for his resignation would be fast and furious.

 

It was a set-up, clearly. And Emma needed to figure out a way to untangle the mess and save her family – before it was too late.

 

                                                                                    ***

 

Emma had tried to get in contact with Regina and Mallory by calling the Valdez-Mills residence to no avail. The person who answered the phone couldn't take a message from Emma Nolan, they just coldly apologized and said neither girl was available before hanging up while Emma was mid-protest. She thought if just going over there, but she thought such an aggressive move might do more harm than good.

 

One person who _was_ eager to talk to her was Belle, who had called twice over the weekend trying to make plans to get together. She said her new guy was keen to meet Emma, but Emma turned her down twice with profuse apologies. Belle asked if something was wrong and Emma put her off. She hated doing that but didn't really have a choice.

 

That Monday at work, Emma went straight to Regina's cubicle like the woman on a mission that she was. She'd been planning what to say for days and was running through the speech in her head when her steps slowed.

 

Regina's cubicle was empty except for a phone.

 

“Excuse me,” Emma said to the woman at the adjoining cubicle. “Where's Regina?”

 

“I heard she left. Someone came and got all her stuff a little while ago.”

 

“Thank you...” Emma felt like she had just been punched in the gut. She went to her little office in a daze and sat down. _Now what?_

 

She rubbed her eyes and then noticed an envelope propped on her keyboard. She grabbed it and opened it, finding a short letter inside.

 

_Emma -_

_I've decided I'm leaving Diamond & Associates. I can't see you anymore, either. It's for the best, trust me. Things are far too complicated with our families, and besides that, there is something that you don't know about me. I did try to tell you, but I didn't have the courage. I thought you would hate me. But I can't hide the truth from you, or run away from what I did. The reason why I left you in the diner had nothing to do with the conflict between our families. It was because you got a call from Belle French. You said she had been having a hard time. Well, the thing I've been hiding from you, and feeling guilty about every day since, is that _I'm _the reason Belle is having a hard time._

_I'm the reason why Belle had a fight with Rupert Gold a year ago that left her scarred. I'm the reason she was in that car. There was a plot engineered by me and executed by myself, my sister, and her friends Mallory Drachen, Ursula Delmar, and Ella De Ville. We set out to destroy their relationship, because, as you may or may not have known, my sister loves Rupert more than anything else in the world, and she was heartbroken when he broke up with her and began to date Belle._

_It's not an excuse, but I did it for my sister. The intent was to break up Belle and Rupert, not for Belle to be hurt. But intent doesn't matter in a situation like this – the result does. I'm truly sorry for my part in it. If I felt that Belle would accept my apology, I would offer it. But I don't expect her to._

_I know that what we did was wrong. I'm truly sorry, and I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me. All I can say is that I've grown as a person since then, and whatever consolation there is to be found in my own suffering, I can assure you I've felt it. My sister is going to marry a cruel man. I have no freedom to live my own life. Ursula's voice will probably never be the same. Ella lost the one thing she loved. Mallory is penniless._

_There's probably more of the same coming to me. It's best for you to stay away. I don't want you to end up hurt because of me. I care about you._

_I wish you nothing but the best in your future. You deserve it._

_Regina_

 

“Oh, Regina,” Emma groaned. “You've got it all wrong.”

 

Emma hurriedly stuffed the letter back into the envelope, folded it, and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans. She had to find a way to talk to Regina. She got an office directory out of her bottom drawer and looked up the number for HR.

 

“Hi, it's Emma in Investigations. I'm looking for contact info for an employee that left us today. Regina Valdez-Mills?”

 

Emma willed herself not to lose her temper when the woman on the other end of the phone stonewalled and said she couldn't give out personal information.

 

“Thanks,” Emma said before hanging up the phone with a little more force than necessary.

 

“Problem, Nolan?”

 

Emma looked up to see Lee in her office doorway. “Hey. It's nothing. A case of the Mondays.”

 

“Anything I can do?”

 

Emma sighed. She hated to pull rank, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

 

“Do you know why Regina doesn't work here anymore?”

 

“She doesn't? News to me.”

 

“The thing is, I really need to talk to her. Do you think you can get her contact information from HR for me? I just tried and they wouldn't tell me anything.”

 

“What is this about, kid?” Lee came all the way into the office and closed the door behind him.

 

“Look, I know that you know about our families. It's not about that. Regina isn't what you think. She's kind and thoughtful.”

 

Lee raised an eyebrow. “Kind? Are you sure?”

 

Emma folded her arms. “Are you going to help, or not?”

 

Lee sighed.  “Do your parents know about this?”

 

“Yes. Well, my mom does. But they've got their own problems to worry about. Please, Lee.”

 

“Well. I guess,” He looked at Emma with a smile. “I can see you've finally taken my advice.”

 

“I care about her,” Emma said honestly. “I don't care about our family drama. The past is the past.”

 

“When I met Nova, people said it could never work between us. We didn't give up. Best choice I ever made. She changed me, you know. I was never the same once I met her. It was rough going in the beginning, but I'm grateful every day I didn't lose her. Who knows what would have happened to me if I had?”

 

“I'm going to go after what I want, Lee.” Emma said. A little smile curved her lips as she picked up the receiver and handed it to him. “With an assist from you.”

 

Lee took the receiver and turned Emma's phone toward him, punching in an extension. “Kate? Go into the master personnel file and get me the contact information for Regina Valdez-Mills. I'll wait.”

 

Emma new Kate was his executive assistant. She waited expectantly while Lee motioned for a tablet and took a pen from her cup. He scrawled a few lines and said “Thanks, Kate,” before hanging up.

 

He handed the tablet to Emma. “There you go, kid. Use it wisely.”

 

“Thank you,” Emma said sincerely.

 

Lee winked and made his way out of the door.

 

She had Regina’s cellphone number and her address. Dropping by at Regina's apartment unannounced would be too much. She would call.

 

Regina answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

 

“Regina, it's Emma. Don't hang up,” Emma said.

 

“Emma! Hi...”

 

“I got your letter,” Emma said. “We really need to talk. I finally found out what happened with our families.”

 

“I'm glad you still want to talk to me but I'm actually on my way out of town.”

 

“What? Where were you going?”

 

“Clearport. Our summer house. Mother wants everyone out of the city. Rupert is already there, his family has a place down the beach a ways from us. Ella, Ursula and Mallory are coming along.”

 

“I've really got to speak with you before you go.” There was silence on the other end of the line. “Please.”

 

“Alright,” Regina said. “Where will we meet?”

 

“Vander Huyven Park in 45 minutes? By the fountain.”

 

“I'll be there.”

 

Emma told her supervisor that she was heading out for a while for an appointment. She got out of a cab and hurried under the arches at the front of the park and went towards the fountain, scanning faces for Regina. She finally saw her, looking uneasy with clasped hands and huge sunglasses, sitting on the stairs facing the fountain. Regina spotted Emma coming towards her and slipped her sunglasses off.

 

“Hey,” Emma said, sitting down on the step next to her. “How are you?”

 

“I'm okay.” Regina looked away and met Emma's eyes again shyly. “Listen, I'm sorry about... everything. You read the letter.”

 

“I did. But there's something you need to know.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“You're not at fault for what happened to Belle. I'm just as guilty as you are, if not more so.”

 

“What? How? How is that even possible? We sent an old fling of his, Milah, to get all over him and then set Belle up to catch him. Milah told us Belle took one look and then went running. She jumped into her car, he got in too, and she was so upset when she was driving she crashed. I knew Milah wanted to get back at Rupert, but since she and Zelena didn't get along, I thought using her to break them up was one way Rupert would never catch on that it was us. And it worked. Belle wouldn't have anything to do with him, and eventually he came back to Zelena. For good.” Regina looked vaguely sickened by this fact. “I never intended for Belle to get into an accident,” she said, her eyes suddenly brightening with tears. “I know it doesn't make it better, but it's true. I was just trying to prove something to my sister. That even though I hated Rupert, I was willing to put her first. We... we have kind of a complicated relationship.”

 

Emma reached over and took Regina's hand. “You don't have the whole story, Regina. I'm just as responsible for them breaking up as you are.”

 

“Please explain.” Regina used her free hand to wipe at her eyes. “I don't understand.”

 

Emma took a deep breath and gazed into the fountain. “When Belle started dating Rupert, I warned her about how controlling he could be, about his reputation, about all the women he'd hurt in the past... including Milah West and your sister. I knew that there were people he'd helped cheat through school, who mysteriously ended up expelled when they didn't come through on whatever favor he asked of them in return. I knew he used his money and influence to steamroll anyone who got in his way.”

 

Emma shook her head. “But Belle, she wouldn't listen. She was so _sure_ that he had changed, that he had another side that nobody but she could see. She confided in me that her father had found out she was seeing Rupert and had demanded that she give him up. He didn't trust the Golds. Well, it wasn't long before her father’s business was in shambles, and Rupert had to heroically step in and offer to pay the rest of Belle's tuition. Thankfully she found out the truth before she accepted a dime of his money.”

 

“It was me, Regina,” Emma continued. “ _I_ was the reason she was so upset. I did the digging to find the conclusive proof that Rupert had used a shadow company behind the scenes to ruin Belle's father. Once she found out, she went off to confront him. She was livid, especially because she had told him so many times how proud her father was of that company he'd built up from nothing.”

 

“But Milah...”

 

“I think the confrontation would have ended the same way – with Belle upset behind the wheel.”

 

“But still. You were being a friend. We were… we were just being malicious.”

 

“There's more,” Emma said in a low voice. “When Belle was in the hospital and she woke up after getting stitched up, she asked if Rupert was there. He had been – he stayed all night, in fact, looking genuinely devastated, but I convinced him to go. I... I told her that he had been there but that he left with another woman. I didn't elaborate, but she probably thought it was Milah.” Emma lowered her head in shame. “Then I really pressed her, really convinced her that giving him up for good was the only thing she could do. That she would only end up getting hurt worse. I thought I was sparing her more pain. I wasn't. She's still not over him. Not really.”

 

It was Emma's turn to wipe at a damp cheek. “I separated my friend from the man she loved. They probably would have worked it out, if not for me. And I was arrogant enough to think I was right in doing it, in making that choice for Belle because I didn't think she was capable of making the best choice for herself. Runs in the family, apparently.”

 

“Oh, Emma.” Regina gave Emma’s hand a squeeze. “I guess we’re both at fault. I hate that Belle was hurt the most out of anyone involved. She was the innocent in this.”

 

“Don't I know it,” Emma muttered.

 

“What did you mean, by the way? About it running in the family?”

 

Emma released Regina's hand. “I talked to my mother about the feud between our families. Brace yourself. It's not a pretty story.” And Emma proceeded to tell Regina everything she'd learned.

 

Emma winced at the growing disbelief on Regina's face. When she finished the retelling, Regina looked stunned.

 

“All this time,” she said in a halting voice, “I thought my mother was the one in the wrong. This hatred that's been driving her... it was justified. Your family tried to destroy her.”

 

“I don't have an excuse to offer for them,” Emma replied simply. “They were wrong.”

 

“So have I been. I need to go.” Regina got up and began to walk away.

 

“Regina, wait!” Emma jumped up and followed Regina down the stairs. Regina turned to look at her with a stony face. “ _I_ didn't do this to your mother. Can't you see that what happened with Rupert and Belle, with us setting something in motion that had an unexpected result is the same thing? My grandmothers are no more to blame for Zelena's father's death than we are for Belle's scar.” Once the words were out of Emma's mouth, she realized what a stupid comparison that was. “Sorry. I’m sorry! I shouldn't have said it that way. But please don't look at me like that.”

 

“My mother has only ever asked two things of me,” Regina said deliberately. “To be so successful that no one could touch us, and to stay away from you. Remember when I told you that she was pushing me to compete all this time, and you asked me who I was competing with? It was you, Emma. You and I are far more alike than she realized. She used to say all the time that if a Nolan could run this state, that her daughter could. I finally understand what she really meant by that. Goodbye, Emma.”

 

“Wait!” Emma said, grabbing gently at Regina's arm. “Don't push me away. Please. I care about you, Regina. I really like you. And I don't want anything to come between us.”

 

“It already has, Emma. Can't you see? There's no going back now.”

 

Emma dropped her hand at her side. “I'm telling you I want to give us a chance, even though I believe your mother is using Mallory Drachen to blackmail my parents and destroy my father's political career. There are pictures of him and Mallory –”

 

“What? I don't know anything about that,” Regina interrupted coldly. “But if your father was stupid enough to get caught up with _Mallory_ of all people, he earned whatever is coming his way.”

 

“My father wouldn't do that!”

 

“Wouldn't he?” Regina's gaze seemed to soften just a little as she said, “Goodbye, Emma.”

 

This time, when she turned and walked away, Emma let her go.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina didn't have her game face on, and wasn't even in the mood to pretend that she was happy for Zelena tonight. The drive to the summer house had been a long one, and had given her time to think. The meeting with Emma had been a disaster, but now that she knew the reason for the feud between their families she was more conflicted than ever.

 

Regina had gone downstairs to fix herself a drink, and naturally had run into Zelena, Mallory, and Ella lounging around with drinks of their own. Regina said a quiet, general hello to the room at large that went ignored and got herself a drink. She was about to make her escape when she heard determined footsteps enter the room. She turned and saw Ursula, apparently much recovered since the last time she had seen her. Ursula marched right up to Ella with a stormy face.

 

"What the hell is this?" Ursula demanded in a hoarse voice, tossing a tabloid magazine at Ella.

 

Ella used her excellent reflexes to catch the magazine with one hand, flashing Ursula a look of distaste. "Hello to you too, dear." She glanced at the cover with a bored affect. "What about it?"

 

"The headline," Ursula croaked.

 

" _'Ursula's Agony_ ,'" Ella drawled. "’The voice is gone and the album is shelved - are the heiress's pop star dreams over?’" Ella looked up at Ursula with a raised eyebrow. "Reading your own press, darling? How déclassé."

 

"Yes, I read it. It has details inside that I only told you about. You sold me out to a tabloid." Ursula said bitterly.

 

"I did not. And how do you know I'm the only one who knew?"

 

Zelena put an arm around Ursula and they sat down on the couch together. "Sorry, Urs. We've all had our share of unwanted media attention. It's never fun."

 

Ursula wasn't mollified. She glared at Ella and shook her head.

 

"I didn't do it!" Ella cried. "It could have been anyone in this room. You know that I don't leak secrets. Why don't you attempt to yell at her?" Ella said, jerking a thumb in Mallory's direction. "She wants off the covers of those rags and she could use the pay day, too."

 

"Shut up, Ella," Mallory and Zelena said in unison.

 

"It's the truth. And don't play the defender now," Ella said to Zelena. "You told me yourself Mallory has been acting strangely lately, skulking in and out at all hours, being as shifty and shady as ever." Ella looked at Mallory appraisingly. "What exactly have you been up to, darling? Share with the class."

 

Regina stood quietly, watching as the assemblage traded barbs and drank cocktails. She mixed a drink for Ursula and handed it to her without a word. The same old, same old. This time, however, she saw them so differently, as if she was looking at them for the first time.

 

She no longer felt trapped. She felt a curious kind of freedom. She knew the dynamic had changed between herself and all of them, perhaps forever. But _they_ didn't.

 

She looked around at each of the women in the room. Extraordinary in some way, all of them. Beautiful by any standard, privileged beyond belief with wealth, connections, the best of everything that money could buy. And yet there they were, each completely miserable. What a sad joke it was.

 

“Something funny, Regina?” Mallory's slightly slurred voice cut into Regina's thoughts. “Why don't you go find an errand to run, maid of honor? It's not like any of us actually want you here.”

 

“Was I smiling, Mallory?” Regina said lightly, swirling her cocktail. “I suppose if I was, I must have been thinking about how ironic it is that not even your Daddy getting sprung out of prison – for _now_ – could alter your seemingly endless capacity to be such an insufferable bully.”

 

Ella gave a short, loud cackle. “I do believe she's found a spine, girls! Who would have thought?”

 

“Not you, _darling_ ,” Regina shot back. “We all know _your_ thoughts don't range much further than your three favorite subjects: you, yourself, and what kind of pain you can inflict on somebody else. Even that puppy I found for you is more evolved.”

 

That got a morose Ursula to laugh and down the remainders of her drink.

 

“Oh, go away if all you're going to do is insult _my_ friends,” Zelena said with an exaggerated air of detached boredom. Regina rolled her eyes as she saw Zelena's eyes range toward her phone for the tenth time in five minutes.

 

“I have just as much right to be here as you, sister. Your days of bossing me around are over. By the way, staring at your phone isn't going to make him call. Nobody can make Rupert Gold do anything he doesn't want to do, and obviously spending as little time as possible with you is his aim. I do hope you've enjoyed having someone to control while I bent over backwards planning your wedding. You'll find out how I've felt for the past six months soon enough.”

 

Zelena slammed her drink down on the table. “How _dare_ you speak to us this way?”

 

Regina ignored her and walked slowly toward the French doors that opened out onto the balcony and looked toward the beach. The waters were choppy this evening.

 

She turned back and surveyed the four, now silent, women who were watching her. “Has it occurred to any of you that as a group we've suffered quite a bit recently? Have any of you even thought about why?”

 

“Oh, do enlighten us, Regina,” Mallory said in a heavily sarcastic tone.

 

“It's the way we've treated others. The misfortunes won't stop until we do. This wedding was only made possible by destroying Belle French. And all of you know it.”

 

“You made that possible, you mean,” Mallory retorted. “It was _your_ idea. Remember?”

 

“Oh, I thought it up because I responded to your baiting as usual. I was stupidly trying to prove myself to my sister. Obviously that didn't work then and probably never will.”

 

Regina looked at all of them in turn as she said, “I think we should come clean. Any of you willing to apologize to Belle and let her know the truth? Any of you have enough _backbone_ to own it?”

 

“I did nothing to Belle. I knew the plot but I wasn't actively involved,” Ursula croaked. “I owe her nothing.”

 

“But you didn't stop it, Ursula. You egged it on. And as I recall, you were the one that stirred up Milah to get her ready to bring Rupert down. Not to mention all the other schemes you were a part of. You and everyone else in this room have been responsible for hurting others deliberately. There's more than one Belle out there dealing with the pain of one situation or another that you inflicted on them. And maybe you wouldn't even make the worst of it right if you wanted to. But at the very least you could resolve not to be like this anymore. You could change.”

 

There was a silence, and Regina felt a spark of hope that her words were making some kind of impact her past protestations and lectures never had before.

 

“Well. All of you might as well know. I couldn't live with myself anymore. This is not who I want to be. I'm taking control of my life back, and I did the only thing I could do. I met with Belle yesterday and I told her the truth.”

 

“You never!” Zelena said, jumping from her seat with wide eyes and a reddening face. “You stupid _bitch_! Why would you do that to me?”

 

Regina winced and stood her ground as Zelena stood in her face with fury in her eyes.

 

“What did you say to that simpering little idiot? Tell me. Right. Now.”

 

“Don't worry, Zelena. I shielded you. I said it was all my idea and all my execution. That I did it all alone for my _loving_ sister. I told her about someone else who manipulated her. And I told her some other things too, about her current life and the way our mother paid off her bosses to give Belle a promotion, and is now paying some craven dirt bag to woo her and keep her away from Rupert. Bet you didn't know about that, did you?”

 

Zelena turned away and held the sides of her head, pacing a back and forth.

 

“You're thinking about how you'll explain it all if Rupert finds out, aren't you?” Regina said with a sort of detached observation. “Nothing I just said registered at all, did it?”

 

Zelena spun around to face Regina. “Fix this!” she hissed.

 

“I have,” Regina said firmly. “If you're going to marry Rupert Gold, you'll have to do it with our little secrets out in the open. No matter what you think, I do love you, Zel. I love you too much to let you enter into a marriage built on lies. This fear you're feeling now? Every day will be like this, and it will just grow and grow. You'll never be sure. Don't you see? You'll never _know_ that he loves you. Let him choose you because he truly loves you and not just because he can't have Belle. Let the decision come naturally, with both of them having all the information.”

 

“It's never enough is it?” Zelena said shakily, with tears in her eyes. “It's not enough to have everything I never will. All of our mother's hopes and dreams pinned on you. A father who adores you. Brains and beauty. You won't let me have the one thing I truly want.”

 

“You have so much to offer, Zelena. You deserve so much better. You can hate me now but in time you'll see I was right. You deserve so much more than being someone's second choice,” Regina pleaded with unbidden tears beginning to fall.

 

“Leave her alone!” Mallory cried, standing up and going to Zelena, wrapping her arms around her. “She's no one's second choice.”

 

Regina shook her head and kept her eyes on Zelena. “I did it for you.”

 

“You did it for your own guilty conscience,” Mallory spat.

 

“Take this chance to do the right thing, Zee. You can't win like this. In the end it's you that will be hurt the most.”

 

“I don't care,” Zelena said. “Rupert is worth it.”

 

“No,” Regina said quietly. “You are worth far more than this. It's beneath you. At least one of us believes it.”

 

Zelena choked back a sob and ran from the room. The others followed after her.

 

Regina collapsed on the couch and took a shaky breath.

 

Feeling someone's eyes on her, she looked up suddenly to see her mother standing in the shadows in one corner of the room.

 

“How much did you hear?” Regina asked, sitting up straighter.

 

“Enough,” came the reply. Cora approached her slowly, looking at her oddly.

 

“I understand some things better now, Mother,” Regina said. “I know about the Nolans. I'm not going to see Emma anymore, you don't have to worry about that. And I'm not going to take part in Zelena's wedding, if there is one. She won't want me there, and I don't want to be there. You should also know that I quit my job. I'm going to find something else. Perhaps on the West coast, I don't know. I need some space, and some time. I hope you will allow me that.”

 

Cora said nothing and went and made herself a drink. “I have a source,” she said in a measured tone, “At the _Observer Times_. They told me that David Nolan and his marriage are about to go down in flames.”

 

Regina was startled. Of all the replies her mother could have made, this wasn't the one Regina was expecting.

 

“I thought it would mean more,” her mother continued. “I've wanted it for so long. But...”

 

Regina's mind whirled. She wondered if Emma would be hurt by this as well. Did Emma have any inkling what was coming? Should she call her to warn her?

 

“Have you seen your father?” Cora asked abruptly.

 

“What?” Regina blinked and came back to the current moment. “Daddy? No. I haven't seen him all day, actually.”

 

“I saw him this morning but I don't know where he is now. I've been waiting for him to call for hours.”

 

Regina stood up and walked over to her mother. “Have you called around? Maybe he went to visit someone?”

 

“I've called everyone we know in Clearport. I was going to give it more time, but I think I'd better call the Sheriff.”

 

Regina placed a hand on her mother's arm and was shaken to see tears in her mother's eyes as she turned to face Regina. Regina had never, ever seen her mother cry.

 

“I think your father is missing.”

 

                                                                                    ***

 

 

“I would ask you to reconsider, but I know you won't.” Lee said from his familiar vantage point leaning against the doorjamb of Emma's office.

 

“Not this time,” Emma gave Lee a wan smile. She tossed a few things from the surface of her desk into the small box that was perched on her chair. “Sorry I didn't give you more notice.”

 

“It's fine. You were always way ahead on everything that was asked of you. Our applicant pool isn't what you would call thin. There are interviews going on as we speak.”

 

“Great,” Emma said flatly.

 

“I take it this sudden departure has to do with the elusive Miss Valdez-Mills?”

 

“Not talking about it, Lee. Sorry. It's just time for me to move on with the rest of my life. I've got to live it for me, not anyone else, you know?”

 

“I know, kid.”

 

In a softer tone, Emma said, “Thanks for everything. For hiring me. I learned a lot. I know you did it for my Dad.”

 

“Nonsense. You were the best applicant for the job. You're going to do great in the academy.”

 

“I'm ready.”

 

“I can see that,” Lee smiled fondly. “I'll be seeing you soon.” He held his arms open and Emma gave him a quick hug. He wasn't one for emotion, and Emma could see he was having a hard time saying goodbye. She made it easy on him and picked up her box and put it under one arm.

 

“Later,” she said casually. She didn't look back.

 

At her apartment, Emma put the box in a closet and took out a bag and began to pack. Her resignation wasn't only prompted by an overwhelming urge to start moving on after her sort-of breakup with Regina. Her parents needed her, and the last call she'd had from her mom made that clear. She'd made no progress in figuring out what had happened with her father and Mallory Drachen. All she knew was that it was hurting her mother terribly, and she wanted to be with her, come what may. She was planning to confront her father face to face, which she hadn't had a chance to do yet. She would be able to tell if he was lying – but was she prepared for that if he was?

 

She locked up her apartment and headed to her car, tossing her bag in the trunk and getting behind the wheel. When she emerged from the tunnel on the way out of town she put on the radio. Lucky her, she'd missed the music and caught the news again. She almost veered off the road when she heard the name “Valdez-Mills.” She forced herself to listen closely.

 

Missing. Henry Valdez-Mills was believed missing in Clearport. Emma got off on the next exit and immediately began driving in the other direction. She had to see Regina. No matter what she told herself, her feelings had not changed. She cared for Regina and wanted to be with her. Whatever she could do to help, she would, and that was just that. She didn't stop to think about if her presence would be wanted, or what she might say to Cora. She just felt very strongly that she had to be there for Regina, and so she would be.

 

 _How many more things could happen to one person?_ Emma wondered. No wonder Regina had been thinking that she was cursed, or that karma was out to get her.

As she drove, Emma thought over everything that had happened. Regina's fears made more sense as she considered the bigger picture. It was like the whole wedding party was doomed to suffer. But then, Emma had had something terrible happen to her too, and she certainly wasn't in that wedding. Her thoughts went to her own father. She'd be terrified if he was missing. She felt guilty for the quiet doubts in him that had been popping up in her thoughts more and more frequently. There was just no way that he’d abused his power to engineer his mistress's father a release from jail.

If not him, then who? Who had that kind of power? Who was setting him up?

It hit Emma suddenly that there was only one answer. She, her mother, and Regina had the three of them been looking in the wrong direction all this time.

Emma sped up her car and glanced at the clock. She pulled over at the nearest rest stop and began to search on her phone. She found the two addresses she needed after a few minutes of searching, scrawled them down on a bit of scrap paper in her glove compartment, then got back on the road. She knew what she had to do.

 

                                                                                    ***

 

It was a day of confusion and fear. Police officers and FBI agents were in and out of the house. Zelena and her friends stayed out of their way, and blanked Regina as if she didn't exist. Regina was too terrified to care. All that mattered was that her father was found.

 

The search was on. There was no sign of him. Cora was devastated. Regina was, too. Unable to sit around waiting for news, Regina decided she would go out searching on her own. She grabbed a flashlight from a utility closet and put on simple jeans and a t-shirt to go with her white sneakers. She moved cautiously through Clearport, moving from the huge houses along the sea view into the town with clapboard exteriors and chain link fences. She walked slowly along the street unsure of what she was looking for, but with am unexplainable feeling that her father was nearby. She nearly jumped out of her skin when an old yellow Beetle slowed on the street beside her and honked once.

 

She was shocked when the car parked and Emma got out.

 

“Emma?! What are you doing here?”

 

“I heard about your father. I think we know where we can find him.”

 

Regina stayed rooted to the spot, looking around for help. “Why? Did your family have something to do with it?”

 

“No! Of course not! Listen, I figured out who has been doing this, wreaking all this havoc in our lives. It's obvious. We were just too caught up on our families' drama to see it. Get in. Please?”

 

Regina stood and looked at Emma a moment longer in the falling twilight, then got into the car.

 

“So who is it?” She said when she fastened her safety belt and Emma started the engine.

 

“Rupert. Who else?”

 

 _“Rupert?_ Why would he want to kidnap my father?”

“For the same reason he's been blackmailing mine. Belle.”

“I doubt it,” Regina said. “I came clean to Belle. I told her what I did, and what you did too. She's probably going to reconcile with him any minute now, if she hasn't already. She was pretty upset when I left her.”

Emma's hands gripped the steering wheel. “I don't think so. I followed a hunch and checked into the properties the shadow corporation that I know he runs have owned in the area. There's a house not far from here.”

“Alright,” Regina pressed her lips together and sighed through her nose. “It wouldn't hurt to look.”

When they got there the house was dark except for a porch light. It was a house on a lot a little separate from the others on the street, and it looked in slight disrepair compared to the others.

“Now what?” Regina asked. “Do we knock on the door? Break in?”

“Let's just check it out,” Emma said. “If we see anything we'll call the police.”

“Okay.”

They got out of the car and Emma led Regina around the side of the house. They peered into the windows but saw nothing. Emma snuck around to the back door and tried it. No luck. There were storm cellar doors that were unlocked. Regina was grateful for her flashlight when they closed themselves in.

“Let's just go in and make sure,” Emma whispered. Regina nodded, taking a deep breath to calm here now thudding heart. Emma led the way and Regina stayed close behind, aiming the flashlight ahead of them and they descended the stairs into the cellar.

Regina was relieved that the musty cellar looked empty from where she was shining the light.

“Emma, let's get out of here, please,” she whispered.

“We're here now,” Emma shook her head. “Let's go up the basement stairs and have a look in the house. We have to be sure. Even if he's not here, we could find something else.”

“Okay.”

They crept up the basement stairs and found the door unlocked. They were in the kitchen. There were some plates in the sink and a bag with a few grocery items beside it that seemed out of place in a kitchen that looked like it hadn't been touched for years. The hair on Regina's arms stood up and she exchanged a knowing glance with Emma. She wanted to run and call the police, but she seemed locked in place. Emma covered her hand that was holding the flashlight and switched it off. They remained still until their eyes adjusted in the dark, and Regina stayed close to Emma as they crept around the corner as quietly as possible. Through a dining room. Into the living room where Regina could barely see what looked like a figure tied to a chair. She put the flashlight on and beheld the bruised and puffy face of her father.

Heedless of anything else, she cried out and ran to him, dropping the flashlight that cast an eerie glow in the room. Attempting to undo the ropes tied around her father with shaky hands proved impossible; the ropes were too tightly knotted.

“I'll get a knife from the kitchen,” Emma hissed.

She turned to go and Regina heard her gasp.

“I don't think you will,” came the sardonic reply.

Regina knew that voice even before she could see his face clearly. So it _was_ true. “Rupert,” Regina cried. “What are you _doing_?! Let my father out of here!”

“Why would I do that when the fun is just beginning,” he said with a grin that could only be described as unhinged. “There's a lot going on tonight. I'm glad you're here for the main event, Emma.”

As he stepped farther into the room, Regina could see he had a gun. He raised it and pointed it at her. “Move away from Daddy.”

Regina held her hands up as Henry attempted to talk around the rope and gag tied around his mouth.

“Rupert. You don't have to do this.”

“You know me well enough to know that I do what I want, and nothing else.”

“This doesn't make sense. Why would you kidnap my father and bring him here? What is the point?”

“Henry is a reasonable man. I just wanted to get a few things straight with him about how it's going to be once I marry your dear sister. Isn't that right, Henry?”

Henry nodded vigorously, his eyes pleading.

“But now that you're here, you've ruined the plan. So I'm going to have to improvise a little,” Rupert pointed the gun at Henry and looked at Regina with a lopsided smile. How would you feel watching Daddy die?”

“You don't want to kill him,” Emma interrupted. “Or you would have already. You don't want to kill anybody.”

“I want to watch all of you suffer. I know what you did to me. To Belle.”

“Did she tell you?” Regina dared to ask, wincing when Rupert pointed the gun at her.

Rupert tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Regina, then a huge smile spread creepily across his face like a stain. “Ah. I see. You confessed, did you?”

“Yes. I told her everything yesterday. I thought you two would be back together by now, actually.” Regina could see Rupert absorbing this information with some confusion.

“You're lying,” he concluded, but the uncertainty in his voice was clear.

“She'll never take you back once she finds out what you've done,” Emma chimed in.

“SHUT UP!” Rupert screamed, causing Regina to stumble backwards slightly. Emma stood her ground.

“She used to tell me how much you had changed, you know,” Emma said in a steady voice. Regina looked over at her nervously, not understanding why she was antagonizing Rupert further. “I warned her not to trust you. And sure enough you proved _me_ right, not her. How sad is that? You betrayed her faith in you by destroying her father's business in one of your sick, petty little schemes because you couldn't bear someone standing up against you. At the end of the day it's no one's fault but your own that you lost Belle. It eats you up every time you think about it, doesn't it? It's so much easier to blame someone else.”

“I know you lied to her,” Rupert seethed. “You told her I left her in the hospital when it was you that convinced me to go and give her some space. You, pouring poison in her ear all the time about me. And she trusted you, Emma Nolan, because you're all just so honest, aren't you? The high and mighty Nolans. So noble and _honorable_. You never lie, do you?  Not like the rest of us mere mortals. Well, the world is going to know you and your whole family for what you really are. I've seen to that. The papers already have the story. They're all going to run with it tomorrow and you're going to see how it feels to have your every indiscretion judged. Your father is _finished_.”

“And you,” he said, swinging the gun back to Regina. “You think I didn't find out from Milah in under a week about that little set up you planned? She spilled her guts as soon as I cut her a check. I knew all along it was you. I gave Zelena opportunity after opportunity to come clean. I could have loved her. Not like Belle, but I could have. But no matter how I tried to get her to tell me the truth, she wouldn't. And I saw the depths of her selfishness, and how irredeemable she really was. Worthless, the lot of you. And so I decided that nothing but destroying all your lives the way you destroyed mine would do.”

“You're no innocent, Rupert. Like you said, I know you,” Regina said, forgetting the gun pointed at her and speaking the hard truth. “Every dirty little scheme you ran in school. The people you ruined just because you could. You get more pleasure out of controlling people than you ever will from loving them. You're _sick_. I never wanted my sister to marry you. I've done everything in my power to stop her from tying herself to a monster like you.” Regina lowered her hands and walked toward him. “I did Belle a favor. And deep down you know it, too. You want someone to take it out on? Take it out on me. Let them go.”

“No!” Emma cried. “It was me, Rupert. Milah was nothing. I'm the one that found out about what you did to Belle's father. I'm the one that kept you from reconciling. I pushed Belle not to forgive you. Given half a chance, I'll do it again, now that she knows all. I'm the one you want.”

Rupert began to back up, looking from one of them to the other. Then he laughed, a broken, jagged sort of laugh. “What is this? Is it love? You're willing to _die_ for each other? A Nolan and a Valdez-Mills?” He cackled like it was the funniest joke he'd ever heard. “How about I just kill you both then, hm? Or how about I shoot myself? You're right, you know. Belle will never forgive me. And I don't want to live without her.”  He slowly pointed the gun to himself and Emma took the opportunity to jump at him. They struggled, bodies close together, and there was a shot. They both froze and Emma stumbled backwards, looking down at blood spreading through her t-shirt.

“No!” Regina screamed, grabbing Emma before she could collapse completely to the ground. “Oh Emma,” she sobbed. “Please... stay with me. Don't go.”

“I-It just went off,” Rupert stammered. “I didn't mean to shoot her!”

“Call an ambulance!” Regina screamed. “Go! We can still save her!”

Rupert dropped the gun and ran from the room. Regina pressed her hands against Emma's abdomen and sobbed as blood seeped through her fingers. “Hang on, Emma,” she begged. “I can't lose you. Just hang on. Hang on...”

                                                                                    ***

Emma blinked against the bright lights with a frown. She turned her head with effort and saw her mother in a hospital chair, sleeping. In a corner of the room she saw Regina in a different chair.

She tried to move her arm and Mary Margaret heard her stirring. “Emma?”

“Hi,” Emma croaked.

Regina sat up from the chair and looked at Emma from the foot of the bed with a beaming smile. “I'll go get a nurse,” she said.

Mary Margaret stroked Emma's hair with tears in her eyes. “My baby is back.”

“What happened?”

“Don't you remember? Rupert shot you.”

“After that,” Emma said with effort.

“He called an ambulance. It saved your life. They got there just in time to stop the bleeding. You lost a lot of blood, but you won't face any other complications. It will take some time to get your strength back but the doctors say you'll make a full recovery.”

“Dad. Story?”

“Oh. It's all alright. It's the craziest thing – apparently your father has a doppelganger that Rupert found and paid to stage those photos with Mallory Drachen. Mallory thought it was your father she was pleading with to save her father.  She was desperate, poor girl. The lookalike took the money and ran – the whole thing depended on him disappearing – but he got too clever and was trying to move some illegal substances through customs. He was detained just as the story about your father started to break in the media internationally. An Interpol detective noticed the story and alerted the American authorities. As crazy as it was, the look alike confessed to everything and your father was cleared.”

“Unbelievable,” Emma said sleepily.

“Just crazy enough to be true,” Mary Margaret added. “But don't you worry about any of that now. You just get some sleep. You need your rest. You can get all the rest of the details later.”

Emma smiled weakly at her mother and let her eyes close. “It's done,” she murmured. “Pressure's off.”

“What do you mean, sweetie? What pressure.”

“First bullet... lived to tell.”

                                                                                    ***

Six weeks later, Emma was sitting on the steps in Vander Huyven Park looking at the fountain, a cane beside her. Sometimes when she walked she still needed something to lean on. She knew how lucky she was to have come through the ordeal with Rupert with only mild pain. She was grateful for every day. She tilted her face up to the summer sun and closed her eyes.

“Here you go,” Regina said, sitting down next to Emma and handing her an iced coffee.

“Thanks,” Emma said with a grateful smile. Regina returned her smile with a sweet one of her own.

“Remember the last time we were here?” She asked.

“Naturally. I can't help thinking about it. It's amazing how much has changed in such a short time, isn't it?”

“Let's see,” Regina said, setting her coffee down on the stair beside her and ticking through the list with her fingers. “Our families declared a truce, for one.”

“The only appropriate response for the two of us risking it all to save the other.”

“My father was very convincing with my mother. And you did sacrifice yourself for me. That's something she won't soon forget.”

“I'd do it again,” Emma said, gazing into Regina's beautiful dark eyes. “Just let me know the next time you need someone to face down an emotionally distraught billionaire brandishing a weapon.”

“He's totally gotten away with everything he did. Just a slap on the wrist. The best justice money could buy.”

“He's learned something. And Belle has given him a second chance. Amazing how neatly things worked out for him, isn't it?” Emma said ruefully.

“At least she's convinced him to get some help before they resume their relationship. I'm not worried about her, actually. I think she can handle him. She had the mettle to quit the job my mother made sure she got and kick that creep of a writer to the curb.”

“She wants to make it on her own. We talked, briefly. She still hasn't completely forgiven any of us,” Emma sighed. “I miss her friendship. But I'm really proud of her anyway. She's getting the surgery for her face. She's ready to move forward with her life. She'll figure out if Rupert really belongs in it or not. I have faith in her to figure it out.”

“I have faith in Zelena, too. She's changing for the better. And she now knows she deserves more. That was all I ever really wanted. But like you and Belle, I'm not sure our relationship will ever really be the same. It's complicated. But I'll never give up on her. And I don't think she'll ever give up on me either.”

“She’d better not,” Emma said. “You have her back more than any of her friends do.”

“They've all learned something,” Regina said reflectively. “Ella's starting a pet hospital and some big dog rescue centers for unclaimed pets. It's the first unselfish thing she's ever done in all the years I've known her. She's got a heart after all. For dogs, anyway.”

Emma laughed. “Hey, everyone starts somewhere.”

“Ursula's voice is getting better. I can't believe that shop assistant was paid off by one of Rupert's goons to slip some horrible chemical into her drink. I'm just glad that there was no permanent damage. The last I heard from her she seemed really humbled and determined never to take her gift for granted. She sees her ability to sing as a gift now, not something to be used as a means to an end for fame and more fortune. Her whole outlook has changed radically.”

“That's good to hear,” Emma said, dropping her gaze to Regina's lips.

“And Mallory is more than happy to be molded by my mother for success. They're a perfect match in ambition. I daresay Mallory has mellowed out after that whole scandal. She's gotten more sympathy and media attention than she knows what to do with. Moving on is her mantra. Moving on and leaving the drama behind – for now.”

“That's a philosophy I can get behind,” Emma said, moving closer to Regina by degrees.

“And then there's us.” Regina smiled faintly.

“Nothing can keep us apart. It was just meant to be.”

“Obviously,” Regina murmured. Their lips met in a sweet kiss. She pulled back and looked at Emma curiously. “Do you ever wonder if it's too good to be true? Like something else is going to happen to us?”

“Not really. We both got the girl in the end. Life can't always be a soap opera. Hopefully, we can just have a nice, boring relationship for a while.”

“Boring sounds good to me. This is where the drama ends,” Regina said, nuzzling Emma's neck and dropping a kiss or two there.

Emma lifted Regina's chin and before she kissed her, she murmured, “And where the rest of the story begins.”

**_End._ **


End file.
